


His Lady Behind The Mask

by Chimpukampu



Series: Magus AU [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Adrien, Chat Noir will be introduced later in the chapters, Connected story, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Ladrien June, Ladybug needs some love, Light Angst, Reverse Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, This is an AU, but there will be some other side of the love square, especially Adrinette, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-05-16 20:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 32,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14818241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chimpukampu/pseuds/Chimpukampu
Summary: Adrien Agreste is just a normal boy with a normal life, until the Akuma invaded Paris and took not only the peace in his city but also the existence of his Lady he once knew and loved. AU.For Ladrien June Monthly Challenge.





	1. Accidental Reveal

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! I’m back again to do my second monthly challenge, but this time it’s gonna be a connected story. I’m not really a Ladrien fan, but the prompts are quite nice. So here ya go!

It was a boring albeit normal day for Adrien Agreste.

He was the last student to leave the school grounds, thanks to M. D'Argencourt's strict regimen in perfecting his fencing stance. And with his usual lengthy shower, it wasn't a surprise that his teammates left him alone in that eerie, deserted locker room. It was quarter to six, and while eyeing the orange sunset reflected from the windows, he texted his driver not to fetch him anymore since he will be crashing at Nino's place. His father was currently in Italy for a fashion show together with Nathalie, so no adult will be around that can reprimand him for staying out late.

As if there was even an adult who cares for him anyway.

Securing the laces of his sneakers, he slipped his duffel bag on his shoulder and left the premise with a happy whistle. He was barely out of the door when a loud crashing noise caught his attention.

A few years ago, strange creatures called Akuma showed up and inflicted terror in Paris. There was no concrete evidence as to why these creatures even exist, but according to some sources, a powerful entity called Papillion created them as his ' _Champions_ ' with a mission to exterminate the Order of Miraculous.

Miraculous is a term used for magical soldiers that are nurtured and trained by the French government to protect and save the people from Akumas' threats. Some believed that the Miraculous wielders were being forced to enlist in the magical army, while others were taken away from their families in exchange of hush money.

And right now, Adrien was witnessing a battle between an Akuma and a Miraculous wielder.

All of his teachers, as well as the principal, taught them not to interfere with Miraculous' affairs, especially if they were in a middle of an Akuma fight. Some obeyed, while those who were stupid enough to ignore the rules ended up as role models of those who strived and survived to see the daylight.

The last thing that Adrien wanted to achieve that day was being buried six feet below the ground.

Unfortunately, the luck was not on his side.

The golem-like Akuma sensed his presence when he attempted to flee from the scene. His danger sense rose when the ground reverberated, followed by a loud thumping sound as the rock giant was running towards his way.

He yelped when a large hand grasped his leg and pulled him up in the air with scrutiny. He didn't surrender to his captivity without a struggle though; Using his duffle bag, he slammed it directly into the creature's face, and the painful shriek he heard from his captor was like a music to his ears.

His victory was short lived.

The raging Akuma tossed him blindly to the debris, and that dawning realization had him braced for the worst. The blond squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that his body will survive from the collision.

The collision never came.

A strong thread suddenly wrapped around his torso, yanking him away from his demise and the momentum jolted him when he crashed to a warm body. The impact wasn't painful, but the soft cushion he felt was enough to convince himself that was safe and alive.

Adrien couldn't wait to brag his near-death experiences to Alya.

The blond slowly opened his eyes and met the most gorgeous yet familiar bluebell hues he had ever seen in his entire life, covered in a spotted red mask.

"Tikki, do you copy? There's a _fucking_ civilian here! A _motherfucking_ civilian! I thought the coast was cleared?!"

He didn't expect that his bluebell-eyed savior could swear like a sailor.

There was a buzzing white noise coming from her earpiece, which was barely covered by her midnight hair. She introduced herself as Ladybug, an obvious name based on her outfit, and when she asked him if he was alright, he couldn't help but gave a brisk nod.

"I'm going to bring you to a safer place, and I want you to run as fast as you can – "

"Look out!" he screamed when an Akuma hovered above their figure with a clenched fist.

Adrien barely registered when Ladybug forced him to duck as she propelled her yo-yo in front of them, making a large force field to deflect the blow. The ground trembled as the Akuma punched the shield repeatedly, just in time with the thumps made by his anxious heart. The heroine, however, has a smirk marred on her pink lips.

"Tikki, set the launcher at eight o'clock from the east gate. Tell me if you're ready," she muttered airily " _Trois... Deux... Un... Zéro_!"

Seconds later, they were airborne as a missile exploded from the Akuma's back. They bounced when Ladybug landed briefly on a post but safe enough from the flying rocks then floated again as they began their retreat.

"Woohoo!" Adrien hollered in triumph "That was awesome!"

Ladybug has a different sentiment.

"Negative, Tikki," the heroine whispered as the white noise echoed in her ear again "Stoneheart absorbed the impact, but it only doubled his size. We can't attack him."

She paused for a bit then eyed the blond civilian impassively as they reached the vacant park "No casualties, Tikki. He's safe."

This was the first time Adrien laid his eyes on the infamous superhero. He first heard her existence a year ago from one of his best friends who happened to cover her first mission, and saw her pictures from the candid shots his friend posted on her fan blog. He considered himself as a fan, but that was due to Alya's influence.

Now he felt something else.

The blond remained still as Ladybug made a few steps away to talk to her communicator in private. The dusk accentuated her figure covered by her spandex uniform, and dimming light revealed the blue highlights on her pig-tailed hair. She was obviously a half-French based on the shape and color of her eyes, and with her neutral accent, it was likely that she was born Parisian.

Adrien knew her, not as a Miraculous soldier but as an aspiring designer who lived in a famous bakery across Collège Françoise Dupont.

"Marinette?"


	2. Babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Adrinette for the soul

Ladybug wasn't sure how in the world Adrien discovered her identity.

Her glamour was on, as well as her mask, and she was sure that she was very _neutral_ when she rescued him from Stoneheart's clutches. She barely paid him any attention since she was busy fighting with the Akuma and talking to her Kwami at the same time, _so why_ –

"Marinette?" the blond asked again as he made a few steps towards her direction "You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right?"

Tikki was seething harshly on her communicator so bad she decided to turn the connection off. She'd be more than willing to face the consequences of her action as long as her eardrum was safe from her kwami's piercing voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered with a straight-laced face "You must have mistaken me for someone else – "

"I know you hate lies, _Marinette_. We grew up together enough to identify my _best friend_ beneath those spots," he chided as his green eyes brimmed with tears "You went missing for almost a year."

The heroine averted her gaze "I still don't know what you were talking – "

She was taken aback when he launched himself and gave her a bone-crushing hug "Please, no more denials, Marinette. I know who you are – with or without that mask. You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Please, admit it that you're Marinette Dupain-Cheng. That you're…that you're…"

Ladybug wasn't ready for a tear-jerking reunion.

She shook her head as she prodded his arms away "I'm sorry, young man, but I don't know what you – "

"I don't care if you've been reprimanded not to reveal your identity," Adrien shuddered and sobbed on her latex-covered shoulder "All I want is to know if the Marinette, the best friend that I grew up with, is still here."

Ladybug mustered all of her strength to keep her emotions at bay and said "Marinette Dupain-Cheng is _dead_ , Adrien."

The blond cried harder as he embraced her more.

"You have to let me go," she deadpanned with staid eyes looking at the battle area "Move on, Adrien, and live your life to the fullest. You have to forget everything about me."

"I don't – "

" _Adrien_."

"I can't…" he sniffled "You can't make me."

"You have to leave me alone."

"Did you know that I've been looking for you since the day you vanished?!" he bewailed without a care for the world "That I've been searching for you everywhere?!"

She placed her covered hands on his shoulder to push him away but he didn't budge a bit "You have to understand. I'm not the person that you used to know."

"No!"

" _Adrien_."

He shook his head and mumbled, "I don't want to lose you again. You mean so much to me."

Ladybug took a deep sigh then cupped his damp face, pushing him gently so she could see him eye to eye "Adrien, I beg you. Stop doing this. For me. For us."

His lips quivered when he cracked a smile "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she confessed, wiping his fresh tear with her thumb affectionately while maintaining a dull expression "But I'm not a civilian anymore. You have to let me go."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" he said, reaching for her hands that were touching his cheeks "Of course I didn't. You were gone before I could tell you everything."

She groaned inwardly.

"I can't bear to lose you again, Marinette," he pleaded, dropping his hands limply on his side "I beg you, don't do this to me."

"I have a duty to uphold," she reasoned, and somewhat relieved when he bowed down in defeat "You have to understand that we're not on the same ground anymore."

He used the heel of his palms to stop the tears from falling "I want to see you again."

"You can't."

"Marinette – "

"I'm not Marinette," she corrected "I'm Ladybug."

Adrien was silent for a moment to collect himself from overwhelming revelations.

"Ladybug," he pronounced the name as if it left a bitter aftertaste "Alya missed you so much, as well as Nino. Our classmates in Francoise Dupont too. Your parents…you parents…" he trailed off when a realization finally dawned on him "They know…? Tom and Sabine know that you're...that you're..."

Ladybug's silence confirmed the answer.

Adrien stepped back then yanked his blond locks out of frustrations and screamed: "How could they do this to us!"

"No one should know the identities of Miraculous wielders," the heroine answered casually despite his emotional outburst "Not even you."

This made him pause to give her a bewildered look "What did you just say?"

A hand clap from the shadows broke their reverie.

"Good job at babysitting the civilian, Ladybug," a menacing voice sounded, revealing a middle-aged man in a black trench coat as he stepped into the light "I've heard that it was one of your repertoires."

The heroine's posture stiffed at the unwelcomed newcomer then glowered "Why are you here, Plagg? You're not my Kwami."

"Tikki swapped with me. She said that I'm the one that fit for this job," Plagg shrugged nonchalantly then eyed the blond boy with raised brows "Is this the civilian that broke your glamour?"

"Who are you?" Adrien asked with displeasure, then moved his gaze towards the girl "And what is a Kwami?"


	3. Kwami Swap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me remind you that the concept of Kwamis and Akumas are different here and will be explained later on

"Kwamis are quantic gods," Ladybug explained when Plagg waved his hand absentmindedly, gesturing her to take the spotlight "They are centuries-aged guardians who molded us to become Miraculous wielders."

Adrien scrutinized the stranger from head to foot much to the man's displeasure "So they're like your teacher, huh?"

"If you put it that way," said the heroine "Also, Plagg is not my Kwami."

"You sounded like you really don't like me, Bug," the black-clad man crossed his arms with a frown.

"I'm only loyal to Tikki," was her casual answer.

"Hah! No wonder you're her favorite student," Plagg snorted indignantly then tilted his head towards the confounded blond "By the way, kid, these are classified information and you're not supposed to know 'em. But that's okay…since you're going to forget 'em anyway.

"Wa – What do you mean?"

The male Kwami vanished into thin air before the boy could even react, only to appear behind him to grip his head in a full force manner. Adrien grunted in pains, trying his best to resist his grasp but his legs went numb as if he was frozen on the spot.

"Don't waste your energy, kid. You've been compelled," Plagg muttered deviously then eyed the female figure "Any last words for your lover, Bug?"

Adrien darted his emerald hues to the masked girl that was standing in front of them, searching for some hints of compassion or guilt but the darkened sky was only cloaking her emotions.

His heart was thumping furiously against his ribcage then croaked "Marinette – "

"Don't you ever call me by _that_ name," she was seething based on her tone but her expression remained vague "I'm no longer the _Marinette_ that you used to know. She's no longer in this world, Adrien."

"No! You're lying to me! Marinette – "

"I told you _not to call me by_ _that name_!" the heroine marched towards him with dead-set eyes then gripped his chin fiercely so he could see her well " _Marinette_ never loved you, Adrien. Never will!"

Instead of feeling poignant or dismay, the blond broke a toothy grin and whispered: "You can't even convince yourself."

And that was how Ladybug realized that she shed a tear until it spilled from her spotted mask.

"I might forget this encounter," Adrien went on with a promise laced on his words "But I will find you again and by that time I – "

 _Spare me some drama_ , Plagg rolled his eyes incredulously then announced " **Cataclysm!** "

"- will save you…"

.

.

.

The blasting sound of his alarm roused Adrien from his deep slumber.

Groaning, he stretched his limbs languidly then crawled out from his covers to find his blasting phone, only to discover that it was placed on top of his study table. He grumbled about getting up nonsensically, and after a few mental deliberations, he rose up and wobbled towards his table to retrieve the offending item. He yawned, rubbed his eyes sluggishly then swiped the device's screen display. The time display showed as 6:45 AM.

His brain might be groggy, but he was able to wonder why he stayed in his room for the night. He remembered talking to Nino about sleeping in his place yet forgot the reason why he ditched their slumber party plans. Yesterday was a blur to him; he barely recalled anything after his fencing practice.

 _Must be the stress,_ the blond thought idly as he walked towards his bathroom.

He didn't dwell on his thoughts further when he realized that he was still wearing his yesterday's clothes instead of pajamas.

His phone chimed for an incoming message just in time he finished his bath.

 **Nino, 07:20 AM:** _Seems like we don't have any Biology today :-D_

Adrien was about to type in ' _What do you mean_?' when he noticed a string of messages on top of his best friend's text. They were all marked as ' _Read_ ' but he never, for the life of him, ever recalled receiving those texts.

He scrolled up the conversation and began to read those that he find unfamiliar.

 **Nino, 06:15 PM:** _Are you still at school?_

 **Nino, 06:21 PM:** _Dude?_

**Nino, 06:25 PM:** _Dude._

**Nino, 06:27 PM:** _Dude._

**Nino, 06:30 PM:** _If you're not replying that means you've been caught by the Akuma_

 **Nino, 06:33 PM:** _Reply 'Aye, Master' if you're alive_

 **Nino, 06:56 PM:** _I've been calling you several times but you're not picking up! Please text me if you're alive._

 **Nino, 07:01 PM:** _I'm hungry rn, text me if you're planning to crash here. I'm expecting you before dinner_

 **Nino, 07:10 PM:** _This is not a joke, Adrien. I will break and enter your place if you're not going to respond._

**Nino, 07:50 PM:** _I'll give you 10min to respond or I will go to the police and report your missing status_

_**You, 07:57 PM:**_ _I'm sorry dude, Father wants to talk to me about something._

 **Nino, 07:58 PM:** _BRO!_

**Nino, 07:59 PM:** _I THOUGHT YOU'RE DEAD!_

**Nino, 08:00 PM:** _THERE'S AN AKUMA IN OUR SCHOOL!_

_**You, 08:07 PM:** I already left the school before it strikes. I'm sorry if I worried you._

**Nino, 08:09 PM:** _No problem. What's with your Dad anyway? I thought he's in Italy_

_**You, 08:13 PM:** He wants me to do something. You know, the usual_

**Nino, 08:15 PM:** _Gotcha. I guess our pajama party's canceled, huh?_

_**You, 08:09 PM:** Sorry :3c_

**Nino, 08:11 PM:** _It's been a while since you last sent me a cat emoji lol! Must be pretty bad, huh?_

 _ **You, 08:13 PM:**_ _Let's not talk about this tomorrow, ok? It's just a mundane thing that I want to forget_

 **Nino, 08:15 PM:** _Duly noted. No fashion talk about his dumbass father tomorrow._

 **You, 08:17 PM:** _Goodnight_

 **Nino, 08:19 PM:** _You're sleeping already?! It's goddamn early, dude!_

 **You, 08:21 PM:** _Models need their beauty sleep_

 **Nino, 08:23 PM:** _If you say so. Be pretty for me tomorrow, ok?_

Adrien didn't recall any Akuma. He didn't even remember making the replies or the so-called mundane thing that he had with his father. It was as if a portion of yesterday's events were completely wiped out from his mind.

Was he even sleep-texting?

Or better yet, did someone use his phone to text Nino?

_That's impossible. Nobody knows the combination of my password, and the only person who can crack it is..._

"This is weird," he shook his head with incredulity.

Plucking his sling bag that was hanging neatly on his chair, he took a glance at the photo frame of a freckled girl perched on his desk.


	4. Protecting

Ladybug wasn't surprised when Tikki greeted her with a furious glare.

Her Kwami might be the cutest and considered to be the sweetest of the bunch, but the red-haired gal was quite vicious and deadly as a viper when provoked.

"What you did was unacceptable!" the red kwami chided as she slammed her fist on the table "Not only you put an innocent bystander's life in grave danger, you almost neglected your duty as a Miraculous holder!"

"Hey Sweets, don't be so mean to your student. She was only doing what she believed was right – "

"Shut your trap, Plagg. You'll have your own moment after I'm done with her," she lashed at the male Kwami who simply raised his hands as if surrendering, then focused her gaze back to the pig-tailed girl "You might have controlled the scene with zero casualties, but you also need to remember that your Cure will only repair the damages caused by the Akuma and not the injuries inflicted by its attack!"

The masked heroine hung her head with guilt and murmured "I'll never do it again."

"Damn straight! This will be the last time I'm going to allow your crazy stunt to happen! And you!" the black-clad man gulped audibly when Tikki jerked her head towards his way "Why do you have to Cataclysm that boy's memories?!"

"I didn't Cataclysm everything – I just remove the parts related to the Akuma!" Plagg defended with a scowl "Aren't you supposed to thank me for saving your top student from being exposed?"

"Why you – "

"That's enough, Tikki," an old man in floral shirt and khaki shorts interjected then waved his hand casually "Settle down, Kwamis. You too, Ladybug."

" _Oui_ , Master Fu," the three answered meekly in unison.

Once they were seated, Fu began to clear his throat "The reason why I summon you three here in my office is to discuss not only about Stoneheart's rampage last night but also the issue about Ladybug's glamour. Now, as far as what I've understood from the reports, this young boy named Adrien Agreste is connected to Ladybug's civilian identity."

"Not anymore, Master," said the pig-tailed girl, which earned a frown from the old man.

"The reason why you have the mask is to protect your identity from the enemies who might connect it to your loved ones," Fu reasoned "Not to replace your real self."

"Ladybug is my real self, Master."

"You don't have to lie to protect yourself, _Marinette_."

The girl remained silent.

Fu looked her assigned Kwami "Tikki, what do you think is the reason why Ladybug's glamour didn't work on Adrien Agreste?"

"His feelings and desire to find his friend must have been the triggering factor, Master. This has never happened before, but that's because Ladybug has never been with someone who knows her real identity even before she was deployed."

"How about you, Plagg? What are your thoughts about it?"

"Ehh…" the male Kwami drawled then scratched his neck indolently "I can't really say anything, Master. Ladybug is not my student, and even if she is, I can't still give you a valid answer."

"What a bummer," Tikki grumbled under her breath but the man didn't argue further.

"Ladybug?"

"Adrien doesn't have a magus' bloodline, Master. Like any French children, he was also tested for Miraculous essence and got a negative result."

_Unless the test has been altered_ , she was supposed to add but decided to hold her tongue.

She knows that a domineering man like Gabriel Agreste would rather see his son in an enclosed space than giving him free reigns about his life.

Fu stroked his chin with contemplation "I may need to have a word or two from the testing committee about this. In the meantime, I want you, Ladybug, to reflect on your misconduct yesterday."

"As you wish, Master," was the girl's prompt reply.

"Tikki will inform you about your next mission while we're getting into the bottom of this. Knowing the flaws of your glamour will benefit not only you but also your fellow Miraculous wielders. Adrien Agreste is not going to be interrogated, if that's your concern," the man added before Ladybug could even ask "He's not one of us, so you can relax now."

"Thank you, Master."

"And also, Ladybug?"

"Yes, Master?"

Fu flashed a toothy smile "You did a great job at defeating Stoneheart."

The masked heroine tried to stifle a grin but failed.

"You're all dismissed," the old man commanded "Except Plagg. We have _something_ to discuss."

The women left Master Fu's office and closed the door before they could hear the male Kwami's whining.

"We're not done yet, Ladybug," reminded Tikki as she walked away.

The pig-tailed heroine sighed glumly.

She never thought that seeing her best friend again would only lead to disaster.

She almost killed Plagg when he Cataclysmed Adrien, but the Kwami was fast enough to explain his purpose before she could even summon her Lucky Charm. She feigned her relief when he told her that he retained Adrien's memories about _Marinette_ , and when she asked him why he did that, he only shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not my business to meddle with personal things," was his answer.

Despite the Kwami's advice of leaving the blond alone in the park, she couldn't fathom abandoning an unconscious boy – much more, a famous, handsome yet unconscious boy in an unsecured place. She'd rather leave him in the comforts of his room and have him wonder about it the next day than in the park alone and blame his blanked memories to the Akuma.

_What if someone will assault him and use his unconscious state to their advantage?_

So she defeated Stoneheart in a record time, summoned her Miraculous Cure to fix the school's damages, and rushed towards Adrien so she could swing him to his home.

She couldn't believe how some things remained the same after her disappearance.

First was his missing parental figure, next was the password of his phone – using Marinette's birthdate as his password was utterly ridiculous – and his bromance with Nino.

Texting him using Adrien's phone was a mistake.

_Hope Nino will forget the exchange last night_ , Ladybug thought as she headed to her quarters, _and I hope Adrien will blame it to stress._


	5. Saved from the Paparazzi/Fans

When Nino told him about a possible cancellation of their class, he didn't expect that it will be due to a hoard of paparazzi lurking at their school gate.

"What is happening in here?" Adrien asked upon his arrival.

"Bro!" greeted the capped boy in headphones "Have you ever watched the headlines? Ladybug was here yesterday!"

"Really?"

"If you at least opened my blog this morning, you might not be out of the loop."

The blond frowned at the bespectacled brunette "Don't tell me you sacrificed yourself again for the sake of news."

"What do you take me for?" Alya scowled indignantly with hands on her hips "A suicidal maniac?"

"Your words, not mine."

He yelped when she slugged his right shoulder with brute force "What did I do to deserve such abuse?! Hey bro, why are you putting up with this barbaric woman?"

"Maybe because I'm into that barbaric woman?" replied Nino as he winked flirtatiously at his girlfriend, and the action earned him a saucy grin.

Adrien rolled his eyes indignantly at the couple's sickening display of affection.

As the trio began to walk towards their classroom, they noticed that one of the reporters approached their classmate Chloe and asked: "What is your opinion about Stoneheart's rampage in your school?"

"Oh, that was horrible. But it's okay because Ladybug saved the day, as usual," was the blonde's snotty reply.

"What do you think about Miraculous holders like Ladybug?"

"Ladybug is the best thing that ever happened in this world!" she exclaimed proudly "She's strong, pretty and brilliant! She's awesome to be my friend!"

The naive reporter awed "Oh my, I didn't know you're close with the elusive Ladybug."

"Of course! She saved me countless times!"

Nino had to dart Alya a warning look when she snickered at the off-handed comment.

"What about your opinion towards the dissolution agreement between the French government and the Order of Miraculous?" the reporter asked again "Given that you're the daughter of Mayor Bourgeois?"

"Who cares if the Miraculous group disbanded? They're just fighting Akumas."

"And save your ass," Alya muttered but nobody paid any heed on her words except her two male companions.

"Besides, Ladybug deserves to live a grandiose life," Chloe went on "Not working with those dingy-looking Miraculous wielders she called as colleagues – thinking about their names and faces makes me shiver with disgust, ugh – and just leave the rest of the task to our French military. We have bombs for that purpose."

"But Akumas are magical beings. Didn't the government try to defeat Dominator before but failed?"

"That's because our police force sucks. Daddy had to spare their supervisor because he pitied them. Anyway, Ladybug must leave the Miraculous Order and just live her life like a normal being."

"I concur."

"I beg to differ."

All eyes immediately turned towards Adrien who was standing on top of the stairs with an appalled look.

In all honesty, the blond wasn't supposed to voice out his reason but his tongue slipped. Now he was left with no choice but to face the consequence.

Clearing his throat, he walked towards the reporter who hastily aimed the mike on his face "Tha – That's right. I don't like Ladybug leaving the Miraculous Order."

"Adrikins!"

He smiled wryly at his friend's outburst "I'm sorry, Chloe. But I also like the idea of Ladybug – no, all Miraculous wielders – to live their life as a normal human being. Aside from their magus blood, they have the right to enjoy their life to the fullest. These Miraculous wielders sacrificed a lot – abandoning their family, their civilian status...maybe some have children we never know of – for the sake of our peace and security."

"I don't know who Ladybug in person, and I believe none of us really knows her secret identity, so we really have no right to say what she wants for herself. Let's give our beloved superheroine some space, shall we?"

In the background, Alya raised a two thumbs up while Nino smirked at his best friend's speech while holding his girlfriend's phone that was live streaming the exchange.

Adrien immediately excused himself politely then marched towards the two.

"Whoa, I didn't know you have that in you, Agreste!" said the brunette female as she nudged him lightly "And you said you're not really a Ladybug fan, huh?"

"Yeah, dude. What has gotten into you?"

"I don't know guys," the blond rubbed his neck shyly with flustered cheeks "Maybe because I see myself in Ladybug being poked by paparazzi?"

"Oh, man. That sucks," Nino muttered, wrapping his arm around his best friend's shoulder "I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Same here, dude. Don't worry, Mama Alya will save you from those impertinent reporters and fans, okay?"

"Thanks, guys," the blond smiled as they entered their room.

Unbeknownst to them, Ladybug was perching on one of the buildings near Francois Dupont when the exchange happened.

"Seems like the trouble has been handled well," she murmured under her breath then tossed her yo-yo to swing herself away from the crowd.


	6. André’s Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lol'ed a bit on this prompt when I realized that there’s actually two André’s in the show - André the Mayor and André the Ice Cream Vendor 
> 
> BTW, this is an AU version of Glaciator

" _Ladybug, the Target has been neutralized. The Akuma is now heading west from Pont des Arts bridge_ ," Tikki's voice buzzed on her earpiece.

"I'm on my way. Tikki, Spots On!" the masked heroine uttered as she summoned her magical yo-yo and used it to propel herself in the air.

The Akuma was calling himself as Glaciator, and according to her Kwami, he was a gigantic colorful snowman who turns people into ice creams. She didn't know the story behind the ice cream, but so far, Glaciator has affected the entire quay of François Mitterrand and was planning to march towards the Louvre.

"Either our Target is an ice cream vendor or someone who has been denied for some ice cream," she muttered bitterly "Any ideas on his weaknesses?"

_"Based on the reports that I've gathered, he shoots anyone but couples."_

She cocked a brow "Oh wow, I didn't expect that. At least he wasn't as weird as Mr. Pigeon. How about the casualties?"

_"We have eleven – okay, that's twelve now – civilians who are currently transformed into ice cream statues."_

"Shit."

_"And they're starting to melt,_ " Tikki informed her in a rueful tone _"Hurry up, Ladybug. These people can still be saved."_

_Of course_ , she thought as she gripped her weapon tightly at the sight of the giant Akuma "I see him!"

The heroine flung her yo-yo hastily around Glaciator's arm, but the Akuma immediately caught the weapon before she could yank it back. She was glad that her ladybug-themed suit absorbed the impact when she crashed into the brick wall, and with its flexible fabric and lightweight materials, it helped her to roll and dodge the incoming ice cream canons that shoot out from Glaciator's arms.

" _Ladybug, are you alright?_ "

"I'm not, Tikki," she rasped, exhaustion already evident on her face "I need some - _wait a minute_."

She realized that Glaciator stopped pursuing her.

So she went out from her hiding place and prepared herself to pounce the Akuma from its behind when all of a sudden, it shrieked: "Adrien! Let me help you find your soulmate!"

_Please don't tell me that the Adrien he was chasing was not the Adrien I know_ , she groaned inwardly, especially when she spotted a familiar mop of blond hair from afar.

Without any second thoughts, Ladybug threw her yo-yo just above Glaciator's head. Using her momentum, she dived towards the running boy and scooped him by the arm.

"La – Ladybug?!"

"Hang on tight, civilian," she uttered without looking at his bewildered face. "You're safe now."

"Tha – thanks."

"Do you have any idea why the Akuma is targeting you?" she asked with an underlying words of ' _what the fuck did you do?_ '

"Erm, you see… _watch out_!" he screamed when Glaciator roared angrily and spewed several balls of ice cream on their way.

The heroine, however, remained unfazed and evaded them with composure "What did you just say?"

If she was looking at his way, she might've seen his blush from embarrassment "Erm, I didn't treat his magical ice cream seriously?"

"What's with his ice cream anyway?" she asked again, still swinging themselves to escape from Glaciator's attack "Is it something that can bring you happiness?"

"Well, he said that his ice cream will give me clues about my one true love."

Ladybug made a non-committal hum when another ice cream ball splattered on their left "Is that so? No wonder you didn't take him seriously."

"André's a good man. He…he wants to cheer me up and I am nothing but an ass for allowing myself to believe on something _impossible_ ," the blond said despondently then remembered "Is André okay? We saw how the black butterfly clung to André's ice cream scoop and how it shapeshifted into a giant snowman."

"We?"

"Uhm, I'm with my friends," was his sheepish answer "Actually, it was a double date and I played as the chaperone."

"Why? Can't you find a date of your own?" it wasn't her intention to sneer but she slipped.

Good thing Adrien, still as dense as a rock, didn't find her tone offensive "The person that I want to date with was nowhere to be found, so...yeah."

"I see," she murmured, trying to null the happiness that swelled on her chest "By the way, André's fine. We were able to extract him from Glaciator's control. He's stable now."

"Phew, that's great!" he sighed with relief "Erm, Ladybug?"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that the Akumas absorb their summoner's life to fuel their powers?"

"If no one cut the strings then yes," the heroine replied as they landed on a secured rooftop "Otherwise, it's just a moppet."

"So Glaciator is nothing but a haunted ice cream scoop, huh?"

"If you put it that way," she answered then settled him to the ground "I highly suggest if you go inside, look for covers and _don't you ever dare_ go out before Glaciator has been defeated, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

If she only looked at his way, she might've noticed his fake smile.

Before she could leave the premise, Adrien called her attention "Ladybug?"

"Yes?"

"You're going to defeat Glaciator, right?" he asked, "That you'll save those people who got turned into ice creams?"

Ladybug looked at the area where she believed the Akuma rampage was going on, and with a clenched fist she answered: "You have my word, civilian."

Adrien genuinely smiled, clutching his softened left leg that was starting to thaw "I trust you with your life, Ladybug."

The heroine turned her back as she mustered all of her strength not to cry.

"Just wait for me, civilian," she declared with a fury burning on her bluebell hues, _I will save you, Adrien._


	7. Prince(ss) Style

True to his words, Adrien didn't leave the rooftop.

Staring at the melting goop he believed was the remains of his leg, the blond sighed glumly "If I eat you right now, will I be considered a cannibal? You look sweet though."

Obviously, his leg didn't answer.

He reclined his back against the chimney as he observed the darkened skyline "Man, Ladybug sure was faster than a speeding bullet when she scooped me. Get it, Ice Cream leg? _Scoop_? Hahaha…" he chuckled humorlessly then sighed again "Do you think Ladybug was aware that I was hit by Glaciator before she even saved me? Was she having some guilt feelings about it? I know you're too shy to answer, but you know what? If Marinette was here, she…she might…"

He winced when a sharp pain suddenly throbbed his head. Pressing his fingers on his temples, he massaged it in small circles and applied enough pressure to lessen the discomfort.

_Thinking about Marinette nowadays was a pain in the head_ , he pondered, _but then again, her disappearance was nothing but a headache._

His depressing thoughts were cut short when a swarm of ladybugs enveloped his melted leg and restored it as normal. He immediately knew it was the Miraculous Cleanse, a power only Ladybug could execute after the Akuma's defeat.

Adrien tried to stand but wobbled when he realized that his left leg – the one that turned into an ice cream a while ago – was stiff as a stone. He couldn't bend his knees no matter how hard he tried, and barely felt a thing when he poked the skin with his finger.

He almost screamed when Ladybug suddenly emerged from his side and said: "It's hypothermia."

"It's a _what_ now?"

"It's just Glaciator's side effect. He froze your leg for a long period of time," said the masked heroine "Imagine if he turned your entire body into a heap of ice cream."

"I'll just sit here and _chill_ then."

Ladybug rolled her eyes indignantly at his pun.

He faltered a bit when she crouched down, placing her right arm on his back while her left was hooking behind his knees

"Wa – Wait! Wa – Wa – What are you doing, Ladybug?" he stuttered with a beet-red face when she carried him in a prince(ss) style.

"You can't walk, and you obviously need some medical help," she reasoned coolly "So I need to bring you to the hospital – geez, you're too light! Have you been eating lately? "

"Of course, I am!" he pouted defensively with crossed arms "I still eat three meals a day, despite not having some snacks in between."

"Why not?"

Adrien scratched the side of his cheek shyly "No one supplies me with free croissants anymore."

Ladybug decided not to pry further.

She was about to throw her yo-yo when the blond stopped her and asked "Can...can we not go to the hospital? Nobody knows that I'm outside with my friends."

"You _fucking_ escaped?!"

The blond averted his gaze guiltily at her accusatory tone "I didn't mean to, okay? I asked permission but my father's too strict he didn't want me to hang out with friends, and I'm suffocated inside that cold, lonely room so I left to unwind a bit."

He wasn't sure if it was the wind or he actually heard her cuss _'fucking Gabriel_ ' when she swung themselves away.

.

.

.

.

Ladybug didn't bring him to the hospital but in a clinic near the Seine.

"His leg was hit by the Akuma," she told the medical staff who were working on his numb leg "The Akuma's magical residues delayed his nerve responses, that's why his leg might appear as fine but his brain says it's not."

"Thank you for the information, Ladybug," the doctor smiled and said, "All medical expenses incurred by Akuma victims are still covered by the state, and even if the French government withdraws their aid, we are still going to help these victims free of charge."

She was silent beyond disbelief when he added: "The Order of the Miraculous helped us in more ways than one, so we are clearly indebted to you."

Adrien couldn't help but grin at the exchange, especially when he saw the deliberation on the heroine's bluebell eyes as if she was stopping herself not to jump on the doctor's bones and tackle him with a heartfelt embrace. Such cute display of emotion reminded him of...of...

"Are you alright, Monsieur?" the nurse asked when a pounding headache hit him again.

"I - It was nothing," he stammered then looked around "Have you seen Ladybug?"

"Oh, she left already."

"When was that?"

"A minute ago, I think."

He deflated with a crestfallen expression "She didn't even bother to say goodbye."

A few minutes later, Nino and Alya arrived together with Ivan and Mylene.

"Ladybug told us that you were here," said the capped DJ after hugging his bro "Apparently, Glaciator's powers don't work on couples."

"That's the power of true love!"

The blond snorted at Mylene's comment "Yeah, right."

"Don't worry, you'll find yours soon," Alya patted his arm gently, and with a devious glint in her eyes she asked, "So, tell me what happened between you and Ladybug."

"On or off record?"

"On record."

"She _scooped_ me from Glaciator's _cold_ fury then _desserted_ me afterward."

"If he can throw bad puns now then that means he's okay," Ivan whispered at the grimacing brunette, much to the blond's disdain.

"My puns are not bad!"

"Yeah right, Agreste," she scoffed at his childish pout "Off the record?"

" _Awesome_ is not enough to describe her."

Alya flashed a lopsided grin "I bet she does."

Adrien was advised by the nurse to stay put in the bed for few more hours until he could manage to walk on his own. While waiting for his medications, he fished out his phone to check if Nathalie got a wind of his escapade, then breathed a sigh with relief when he found zero notifications. He was glad that Alya didn't post his picture of being carried by Ladybug in bridal-style, despite the cute caption, yet she somehow saved it for future blackmails. She commented that Marinette might get some kicks once she sees his unmanly image.

He wasn't the only one who still clings on every hope that Marinette will eventually return to Paris.

When he dipped his hand again in his pocket, he found an earth-shocking revelation.

His lucky charm was gone.


	8. Secret Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Adrinette Childhood Friend AU for the soul

"Master Fu?"

"Ladybug," the old man beamed, waving his hand rapidly when the spotted heroine entered his office "Come in - and please lock the door. Thank you."

She immediately complied by pressing the lock button on the knob, then asked: "I don't understand your message about not informing Tikki or anyone about this meeting."

"That's because it's a secret," said Fu, pulling his own seat when she walked towards his office desk and sat on one of his visitor's chair "And something _personal_."

He noticed how her face twitched, albeit subtle, as well as the way she clenched her hands tightly on her lap but decided not to point it out.

"We're not talking about your parents. Rest assured that your family is safe," he clarified, and saw how her expression gradually relaxed "What I'm referring to is your connection towards the young civilian named Adrien Agreste."

Her posture went rigid "Adrien Agreste, Master?"

"I didn't call you here to scold you about saving him _again_ if that's something you are worried about," the man chuckled at her bewildered gaze "I called you here because I'm a curious old man who wants to know about this young man's personality, his lifestyle…and how you two became friends."

"For what reason, Master?"

Fu cracked a smile despite her defensive tone "I'm fully aware that everyone knows about the ongoing dissolution panel between our organization and the French government. If the proposal will be signed on its third reading and wins the majority vote, the Order of Miraculous is going to be separated from the state and considered as a private entity. Which means that us, Miraculous wielders, will lose our state immunity and can be arrested for treason."

She snorted indignantly "For what, defeating Akumas?"

He cocked a brow "Aren't you aware of the rumors surrounding on the Miraculous wielders?"

"Ah," her face immediately turned sour "Are we talking about that rumor of us kidnapping some children and experimenting them to become Miraculous wielders? Or the other one wherein we steal corpses in the cemeteries and turn them into dummies we now call as Akumas?"

"Stealing corpses? I haven't heard that one _yet_ ," he caressed his chin with bemusement, much to the girl's chagrin "Must be something new. Anyway," he cleared his throat "Fallacy aside, the Congress made a proposal that we should end this war by having a truce with Papillion."

" _A truce_?!" her voice shrieked with disbelief " _Are they out of their minds_?!"

"That, or we'll just surrender ourselves to Papillion."

She almost leaped from her seat at the absurdity "That's bullshit!"

"Exactly," the old man remained unfazed as he went on "But there are proponents, the so-called elitists of our society, who are standing behind the proposal. One of them happened to be the CEO of Gabriel's fashion house."

Ladybug glowered "Gabriel Agreste,"

He concurred with a nod "Now, here's my question – why is it that Gabriel Agreste wants to dissolve the Order of Miraculous? Did we do something harm on his business? Did we fail to protect his family from the Akuma? If so, what can we do to rectify that?"

"Are you proposing to use his son in order to reach him?"

"Is that a smart decision, Ladybug?"

"No, it's not," was her adamant answer "Gabriel treats his son as nothing but a poster child. Ever since his wife died, he dedicated his life to work and never once he spends a single moment with Adrien that is outside the fashion arena. He's a cruel, selfish, manipulative bastard and most of all, a heartless father that must be removed in this world at all cost."

"And how about Adrien?"

"Adrien is a…sad person," she trailed off with looming eyes staring on her lap "He's a loving, kind and compassionate being. He loves his father despite his cold demeanor. He's friendly but socially inept due to his tight upbringings. He might be submissive, but he's self-sufficient. He can stand on his own, especially if he knows that he was right."

"Do you think Adrien can also stand himself against his father?"

Ladybug shook her head forlornly "I don't know, Master. Adrien may be persistent but Gabriel's words are absolute. You'll end up talking to the wall."

"I see," Fu reclined his back then eyed the masked heroine with fondness " _Marinette_ must be friends with Adrien to know his life story."

"They're not just friends, Master," she sighed with a nostalgic smile "They're best friends."

"And probably more, if the circumstance allows it."

Ladybug didn't give an answer.

"How did you two become friends?"

"We grew up together," she told him as she reminisced the past "His mother Emilie was one of our frequent customers; she often brings him every time she makes a shopping. He was home schooled, you see, so Emilie wanted him to have some friends other than rich kids like Chloe."

Fu noted how she sneered at Chloe's name.

"I never liked him, at first," she continued "Especially when he threw a bubble gum on my hair. I recalled having a meltdown when the gum got stuck and the only way to remove it was to cut my hair. My hair was long during that time - I think it reached around my elbows - so having a bob cut was a tragedy for my six-year-old heart."

"I cried and cried the whole day. I didn't even eat my supper because I was so sad, and I slept that night with tears in my eyes. The next day came and _he was there_ , standing outside of our door _alone_ , and I remembered the anger of seeing his face; the desire of hitting him with anything but _solid_. I also remembered yelling, blaming him for ruining my hair and asking him to leave me alone. He didn't. He remained at our doorstep until I stopped crying."

"Then he presented me this beautiful wreath, and I was like ' _his money won't buy me_ ' but then I saw his dirty little hands filled with band-aids. He told me how sorry he was for my hair, that he didn't mean to throw the bubble gum on my direction. He confessed that one of the kids stuck the gum on the bench, so he tried to pry it but the gum went all over his hands. Before he realized it, the gum flew out and landed on my hair."

"Adrien must have sacrificed his sleep to make that wreath."

Ladybug nodded "Afterward, Emilie told me that Adrien combed their garden to find the ' _most beautiful flower fit for the Princess_ ' and spent the entire night weaving my flower crown. I think it was a combination of hyacinths, carnations, and orchids."

"Ah, the flowers of forgiveness," the old man sighed dreamily "And I believe young _Marinette_ accepted the apology of her great Knight."

"We became friends that day," said the heroine. _Until last year..._

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, the old man patted the underside of his eye "Your glamour didn't break this time."

"I didn't make any eye contact, Master," she replied, touching the edge of her spotted mask "He didn't remember me, or anything about Stoneheart's fiasco."

"Well, that's good," he nodded casually "Cataclysm is a very strong spell, Ladybug. No one has ever dispersed it except those with an ancient magus' blood."

"Adrien is just a normal boy with a normal life. He was born with normal parents with a normal lifestyle. He's not like me."

Fu only made a non-committal hum "Do you think Gabriel loves his son?"

"By love, you mean imprisoning him in a cold, lifeless fortress he called as home? I'd say yes to possessive love."

"Was he like this before his wife died?"

Ladybug tilted her head as she mulled over "I don't think so? Emilie died when Adrien was eight so my memory was a bit hazy…. but I do remember seeing Gabriel carrying Adrien in his back."

Fu patted his thighs then stood up "I think I got the answers that I needed."

"Are you sure?" the heroine hastily followed suit "I mean, about Adrien –"

"Oh no, you don't need to worry about Adrien," he gesticulated as he ushered her towards the door "And, Ladybug?"

"Yes, Master?"

"If _Marinette_ can't stay as friends with Adrien," he suggested, "Why can't _Ladybug_ befriend Adrien?"

Fu had to stifle his grin when he saw the confusion ebbed on the girl's face, but after he shut the door closed and engaged the locks, his expression turned into somber.

"Wayzz?"

A tall, lean man in green clothes emerged from the shadows "Yes, Master?"

"Call Plagg," he commanded, "Tell him that we found the magus who bears the power of Destruction."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be on-a-spur vacation trip tomorrow so expect some possible prompt delays since I'll be visiting a mountainous region with no/slow net connection.


	9. Lucky Charm

Her secret meeting with Master Fu wasn't that much insightful. In fact, it only gave her nothing but questions.

 _What does he mean by befriending Adrien? Aren't we supposed to keep our secret identity?_  the masked heroine pondered solemnly as she walked on the empty hallway, _Is he trying to test the durability of my Miraculous glamour? Am I the guinea pig of the said test?_

Ladybug didn't mind being experimented a bit since it was something beneficial to all parties. But involving Adrien, of all people, in the said experiment?

"As if I'm going to allow them to Cataclysm him again," she muttered, summoning her yo-yo to throw herself into the skyline.

She considered her nightly patrols as an obligation being a Miraculous user, and at the same time, an opportunity to see the fruits of her labor - the lives she has saved and the people she could die for.

The billowing wind that hit on her face as she sprinted under the starry sky was very therapeutic, and the sound of the bustling traffic below distracted her from unnecessary thoughts. With no Akuma on sight, the masked heroine decided to retire early and call it a night until she saw someone familiar lurking from afar.

She immediately landed on his front, and with a scornful look she asked: "What are you doing out here, civilian?"

Adrien flinched like an electrocuted cat at her sudden intrusion then gasped " _La - Ladybug?!_ "

She crossed her arms hotly "Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest?"

"Well," the blond rubbed his neck incessantly, "The doctor told me that I'm out on bed rest once I can move my leg without a support. So, here I am."

"But you're still limping." the heroine pointed out.

"He mentioned nothing about limping," he retorted cheekily "And as you can see, I can move my leg just  _fine_."

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?" she frowned when she saw his annoying smirk "So, what brings you here?"

"Good thing you asked," he clasped his hands joyously on hers, and she was more than relieved that her mask generously covered the blush that assaulted her cheeks "I need you to help me find my lucky charm."

"A  _what_?"

"Lucky charm," he repeated, letting her spandex-covered hands slip from his grasp "You know, an item that brings you good luck?"

"I know what a lucky charm is," she scowled as she managed to recover her composure in mere seconds "What I would like to know is why."

"You see, I lost it when you saved me from Glaciator," he muttered glumly with a downcasted gaze, "I think it fell out from my pocket."

"So that's why you're in here, lurking in this alley, and probably trying to break and enter a place just to find a measly lucky charm?"

He took a sharp intake of breath " _Measly_?! That's not a measly lucky charm!"

Ladybug was taken aback when she saw his steely green eyes glued on hers "A - what - "

"I have to find it, Ladybug. I  _must_  find it," he croaked with a raw emotion seeping through his words "I don't care if you will arrest me for trespassing, or report me to the police. If I have to climb all the rooftops and clear the chimneys, I will do it. Hell, I might sweep the entire streets of Paris just to see it again...just like...just like what I'm doing to find  _her_."

Embarrassment struck him afterward, and with a beet-red face, he stammered "I - I - I'm sorry Ladybug! I didn't mean to shout at you, or vent out my frustrations, or...or..."

The masked heroine shook her head with a smile "N-no, you don't need to apologize. I'm supposed to be the one who should say sorry, not you, for being insensitive to your feelings."

"I - It's okay, Ladybug! It wasn't your fault, really..."

"If you want to, I can help you find your lucky charm."

His head turned towards her with slacked jaw, gasping "Re - Really?!"

"Of course," she nodded with a sheepish grin "I can check the rooftops while you check on the grounds. That way we can find it faster. How's that sound?"

Adrien's toothy smile was enough for an answer.

.

.

.

.

They found the lucky charm lying on the place where Adrien stayed hidden from Glaciator's detection.

"Thank you, Ladybug!" said the blond as he clutched the familiar item like a lifeline "Thank you for finding my Marinette's Lucky Charm!"

" _Ma - Marinette's Lucky Charm_?!" she squeaked but the boy was too busy smothering the charm to notice her.

" _Oui_! You have no idea how happy I am right now! I don't think I can live my life without it!"

Ladybug gulped audibly "Tha - That's too excessive - "

He briskly shook his head with a grin "You don't understand, Ladybug. Someone precious to me gave me this for safekeeping, and I am going to hold on to this so I can return it to her properly."

"A-And that precious person," the masked heroine wetted her lips then uttered, "That person's name is Marinette?"

" _Oui_ ," he beamed, and the way his green hues softened with endearment told her that she screwed up terribly. And horribly so.

"Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Adrien answered with a lovesick smile, and the sight itself made her gut churned with remorse "She's my one true love."

 _I'm so sorry, Master Fu,_  Ladybug cried internally,  _I don't think I can do this anymore._


	10. (Reverse) Balcony Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't seen a balcony connected to Adrien's room like the one in Marinette's so I'll just assume he has one above his library

"Allow me to escort you home."

Ladybug wasn't supposed to utter those words, especially when she promised herself not to involve with Adrien anymore, but after seeing how the blond limped himself through the alleys, her compassion ruled over.

"I don't want to impose on you," she continued meekly "But your leg is not yet on its full recovery, and it's almost midnight. Someone might spring on you behind the shadows and mug you, and I'm aware that you're capable of handling yourself but you're alone and injured, and I - "

"I really appreciate the offer, Ladybug" he interrupted her blabbering then chuckled "And yes, feel free to carry me to my residence."

The masked heroine tried not to fluster when the blond model wrapped his arms around her neck and inhaled a familiar scent of body wash. After he told her about his address, she hooked her right arm behind his legs while her left propelled her yo-yo to the air so they could swing towards the Agreste's mansion.

They landed on the balcony just above Adrien's room.

She was about to leave when the blond stopped her and asked "Would you like to have some hot cocoa before you go? You know, a payment for finding my lucky charm?"

She could never say no for hot cocoa.

She tried to ogle around and act like she was curious about the surroundings when he ushered her into his room. There weren't many changes in the interiors the last time she has been there secretly as Ladybug, except with the big pin-up board hanging just above his study table.

"Nathalie often joked it as Marinette's ' _murder board_ '," his bemused voice broke her reverie, "Dr. Porteau said that it's beneficial for my recovery if I will arrange my thoughts like this."

"Dr. Porteau?"

"He's my therapist," said Adrien as he busied himself in his kitchenette with his back facing hers "He's uh, a shrink, by the way."

Ladybug stood there with dumbfounded expression at his revelation "I…I didn't know that...that you're sick."

The blond snorted as he poured the steaming beverage in two mugs "Even my best friends Alya and Nino have no idea either. It's something personal, and I'm not destructive enough to involve other people in my case."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, Ladybug," he topped a handful of marshmallows on each mug then turned around "I know depression sucks, but I'm getting all the help that I need. Cocoa?"

The masked heroine accepted the mug with a crestfallen expression "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I hope you don't mind the mallows."

"It's fine. I love putting mallows on my hot cocoa," she answered then took a small sip of her drink. She had to stop herself not to sigh in bliss.

Adrien cracked a fond smile "She's the one who taught me how to make a good cocoa."

Ladybug choked and almost burned her tongue when she gulped her drink audibly.

"Are you alright?!"

"I - I'm fine," she croaked "Wrong pipe."

She didn't have to ask to know the person he was referring to. Her bluebell eyes trailed back to the pin-up board filled with her old civilian's candid pictures, article clippings about the designs she never knew was featured before, post-it notes of her daily schedules and activities back when she was a student, random doodles she remembered she drew in her sketchbooks, and printed labels that revealed the date with a brief explanation of the story behind each pinned item.

"It's been a year since she left us," his deep voice reverberated in the room "She was once a constant presence in my life; an ear whenever I have an issue at home, a shoulder that I lean to cry on, a hand that feeds me if I skipped a meal, a voice who entertains me during my shoots…I can't name them all. She means the world to me."

He paused a bit to down his cocoa then continued "Nobody knows about her whereabouts, not even her parents or Alya. They thought I knew everything since I'm her childhood friend...her first best friend. Turns out they were wrong. I was wrong." his emerald eyes glued on hers "Nobody knows the _real_ Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

She averted her gaze immediately "Will you be getting well if you see her again?"

The blond shook his head noncommittally "I don't know. Probably. If _Marinette_ ever shows up again, I'd prefer not to be a one-time thing."

"What if it's going to be a one-time thing?" she asked while berating herself not to probe further "What will you do?"

"I'll just give her a reason to come back," was his wistful answer "Something that she can look forward to – her family's pastries, Alya's news scoops, Nino's sick beats, our classmate's weird antics, her favorite singer's album hits, her favorite magazine's fashion covers, her favorite places..."

"Aren't you supposed to respect her wish?" the heroine blurted out in a whisper "She vanished at her own will."

" _Marinette_ is not a person who runs away to escape her problems."

"What made you think that she ran away because of problems?" she snapped, placing her mug on the center table then stood up "I have to go. Thanks for the cocoa."

His brows furrowed when he glanced the inside of her mug "You didn't eat the marshmallows?"

"While I love my hot cocoa topped with mallows," she reasoned as she walked towards his window "I don't like the taste of the un-melted ones. Have a safe evening, civilian."

"Adrien," he corrected with a lopsided grin "My name's Adrien."

"Goodbye, Adrien."

Throwing her yo-yo outside, Ladybug left his room without looking back at the blond who remained seated as he observed her departing figure being swallowed by the dark.

"Hope to see you again," he muttered pensively "Marinette."


	11. Onesided Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to post this yesterday but I'm not feeling well…sorry for the delay

Tom and Sabine's Boulangerie Patisserie wasn't as flourished as it used to before.

The place was still considered as ' _one of the most popular French bakeries in Paris_ ' by their patrons and constant customers who still comes and goes for their pastries, but the magical spark, that unique flavor one always felt in every bite was gone.

It's as if that essence vanished the same time Marinette disappeared into their lives.

Walking towards the bakery triggered lots of unwelcome memories to Adrien. He remembered the panic attacks he suffered every time he revisits the day he learned about Marinette's disappearance. There were no notes or recordings about why she decided to leave, and the hurtful part for him was seeing the lucky charm, the bracelet he gave as a gift on her fourteenth birthday, was found inside her drawer cabinet together with other things she no longer cared.

The familiar doorbell sounded when Adrien pushed the door with an ' _Open_ ' signage. He almost teared up when the scent of butter and vanilla assaulted his senses, and the flashbacks of a certain pig-tailed girl in aprons standing behind the cashier hit him like a freight train.

"Adrien?" Sabine's voice broke his reverie "Adrien, is that you?"

Recovering his bearings, he stood up straight and greeted " _Salut_ , Madame Cheng."

The petite Chinese woman tackled him in a warm embrace, an action he reciprocated immediately "It's been a while since you last visited here. Come, we have fresh croissants here. Or do you still prefer choquettes?"

"Thanks for the offer," he smiled after she released him "But I'm here for something else."

"Oh," Sabine's bright expression changed drastically, and with a downcast gaze, she muttered "We still don't have any information about my daughter's whereabouts. If you will excuse me, I have to attend some errands in the kitchen."

She turned around and about to leave him in that empty bakery alone when he blurted out "I know where Marinette is."

She halted her tracks "What?"

"I know your daughter's whereabouts," said Adrien fervently "Marinette is with the Order of Miraculous."

The way her shoulder flinched when he mentioned 'Miraculous' told him that the mother was aware of her daughter's condition "What are you talking about, Adrien? We know that's impossible, right?"

"You don't need to bluff, Madame Cheng," the blond walked in front of Sabine who averted her gaze from his clear green ones "While I'm still upset that you hide this truth despite knowing our grievances, I somewhat understand why you did it."

"Adrien, I - "

"Adrien?" Tom emerged behind the oven "It's good to see you agai - Sabine? What..."

"Tom, I - "

The burly man stepped in front of the blond with a steely look "I think you need to leave now, Adrien."

"Monsieur Dupain, I'm - "

"Tom, he's not - "

"You don't need to defend him, Sabine," the man admonished without tearing his eyes on the squirming boy "It's obvious to me that he's harassing you and - "

"Monsieur Dupain, I'm not - "

"Tom!" the petite woman yanked her husband's arm when he raised his fist above Adrien's head "He knows!"

" _What_?!"

Sabine crossed her arms and scowled indignantly "Drop that attitude at once, Thomas Dupain, or I swear I'm going to use a tray and hit you in the head."

The baker tucked his hands swiftly on his side much to the blond's relief, only to jolt nervously when he met Sabine's icy glare "I will tell you our reasons if you tell us how you discovered our daughter's whereabouts."

"It's a long story, Madame Cheng," said the blond, then gulped audibly when Tom locked the door and flipped the signage as ' _Close_ '.

"Why don't we discuss these things upstairs?" the man suggested which earned an affirmed nod.

Adrien couldn't help but feel the nostalgia when he entered the Dupain-Cheng's living room. Marinette's pictures were still decorated on their walls, as well as the gaming console they often use to play Ultimate Mecha Strike under the television. The lack of changes gave him some false vibes that their daughter was still living with them.

"We thought that the magus' blood skipped on her," Sabine began when she sat on the couch beside him "She was born and tested as negative like us, so we assumed that our blood lost its magical components, which is very likely since Tom and I came from a mixed family."

"We found out that she was a latent user after she cut herself with a knife," she went on with melancholia "We immediately brought her to the Order's facility, and after we explained her situation, they prescribed us some magical suppressants with an option for surgery."

"Wait, _what_?!" the blond almost bolted out from his seat "Magical suppressants? I - I thought the Order will immediately capture those people with magical abilities? And what's with the surgery?"

"Those rumors that you're hearing about the Order are not real," Tom interjected, sliding a tray of fresh croissants and refreshments in the center table "I don't know why they tolerate it, but I think leaving them as is makes them more mysterious. You can grab one, kid, I'm not planning to bite you."

"Tom!"

"I'm chill, okay?" the man raised his hands when he met his wife's beady glares, then focused his attention to Adrien "Can you blame me for having this overprotective streak towards my wife?"

Sabine pinched the bridge of her nose then shook her head with exasperation "Don't mind my husband, Adrien. He's harmless like a teddy bear."

"Hey!"

For the first time since Marinette disappeared from their lives, Adrien bawled his eyes laughing, and the infectious sight made the couple guffawed with him.

"It's been a while since I last laughed like crazy," commented the burly man as he wiped the happy tears leaking from his eyes "I never thought I badly need that."

Adrien nodded while trying to catch his breath.

Once the humor was gone, they went back to their unfinished discussion.

"Why did Marinette join the Order?" he asked.

Sabine eyed her husband who answered, "A year ago, I was diagnosed with a kidney failure."

Adrien dropped the croissant that he was biting "I'm sorry I didn't – "

"It's alright, son. I had an early diagnosis, and I'm getting the maintenance I needed before it could turn into worse," he waved his hand nonchalantly then sighed "But we're just bakers, you see, so having monthly check-ups, dialysis with some prescribed medications took a toll on our savings; plus, the fact that our daughter had to take her suppressants so she could live her life as normal, we almost end up broke. Until one day, she approached us and suggested the surgery."

"It's a magical procedure to strip a magus from their power," Sabine explained before the blond could ask "As we all know, a magus' blood is essential in making Akumas. Papillion killed hundreds of magi to achieve that goal, and with his newly acquired knowledge, he was using the blood in the form of corrupted butterflies to turn a non-magical being into magical ones. We don't want our daughter to suffer in Papillion's hands so we agreed to her bidding, only to find out that she wasn't qualified."

"Marinette has an ancient magus blood," she continued despondently "She bears the power of Creation, one of the most powerful Miraculous in the world, so stripping that ability is like stripping her soul from her body."

"All I want is nothing but my daughter's happiness," Tom sniffled with watery eyes "And as her father, I'm supposed to be the one who should protect her, not the other way around. But reality sucks; as much as we hate to admit that we need the money to survive, she has the ability not only to save herself from Papillion's claws but also to generate enough money for my medications."

"The Order promised us to support Tom's medication in exchange of Marinette's service. We refused at first, but our daughter was very adamant to follow her call," Sabine wiped her tears with no shame "She's our only child, Adrien. She's too young to fight magical demons and evil magicians. She has dreams and aspirations, and she dumped them all at once for the sake of our lives."

"Why didn't she say goodbye to us?" the blond asked, "Why didn't she left a note about her departure?"

"We have no clue, Adrien. She didn't inform us that she will be leaving that night either. Probably it's a command from the Order."

"Did they tell you if Marinette can go back and meet us again?"

The mother shook her head "Once you become a Miraculous wielder, you have to leave your past behind. You have to dedicate your life in defeating Papillion and his Akumas until your last breath. You have to accept that half of your body is already buried six feet below the ground."

"If Marinette didn't accept her call, not only our finances will suffer but also our safety. Papillion's main goal is to hunt the bearers of Creation and Destruction, and we're aware that the suppressants weren't enough to cloak herself from Papillion's henchmen. Either way, she will have to face her Fate or die without giving a fight."

"How did you know that Marinette was with the Order?" asked Tom.

"She saved me twice," Adrien confessed after wiping the crumbs around his mouth "First from Stoneheart, then days ago from Glaciator."

"How did you know that it was our daughter?" the man asked again "All Miraculous wielders have their glamours on, and if ever you discovered their identities, they will certainly wipe your memories out."

"Let's just say they wiped my memories once, but for some unexplained reasons, I retrieved them back. So basically, they didn't know that I know."

"Know what?"

The blond smirked, "That Marinette goes by the name of Ladybug."


	12. Blushing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to catch up, 'yo!

_"What are you doing in there?"_

"Uwaaaah!" Ladybug shrieked, flailing her arms unceremoniously to the air when her Kwami suddenly buzzed in her earpiece "Tikki! Don't you ever give me that shock!"

 _"I've been calling your name several times,"_ the Kwami huffed much to her student's disgruntlement _"So, what did you see in there that spaced you out?"_

"It was nothing."

_"Really? Then why are you blushing?"_

"I'm not!" the heroine revolted while covering her pinkish cheeks "And how in the world did you know that I'm blushing?"

 _"Intuition,_ " was her prompt reply _"Plus, you admit it."_

Ladybug grumbled incoherently as she moved to another building. She was currently on a solo patrol since her other colleagues were all bone-tired and beaten up after fighting a Lizard-like Akuma that lasted for almost six hours. To make amends on her for being alone, Tikki was also deployed to monitor her movements and surroundings in case an Akuma shows up for an ambush - not that she hasn't defeated an Akuma singlehandedly before.

 _"So, what did you see in there?"_ the Kwami asked again.

"It's...an old issue of La Mode."

_"La Mode? Isn't that a fashion magazine?"_

" _Oui_ ," Ladybug replied as she moved to another location "They featured this year's summer collection and the latest trend in Haute Couture. It was nice."

_"I bet it does. You're an aspiring fashion designer, right?"_

"Not _aspiring_. No, not anymore," she murmured stoically "That was all in the past."

_"Why not? You can still be a designer and a superhero at the same time."_

"That's impossible, Tikki. To become a fashion designer you must undergo training from professionals, study several fashion techniques, and learn the trends," she explained, "Which means going to school and applying for an internship."

 _"Can't you do a self-study? I've heard some people start their careers through Youtube and Pinterest. There are also Ebooks about fashion designing that you can find all over the internet,"_ Tikki suggested enthusiastically _"And if you're concerned about the trends, then why don't you create one for yourself? Like, you know, avant-garde?"_

"Just because you created something unique doesn't mean your market will like it. There are some rules that you need to follow in order for your design to _click_ in public."

Tikki hummed noncommittally _"I've read somewhere that nobody liked the Macintosh when Steve Jobs first released it. Now, look what happened?"_

"Tikki," the girl deadpanned "You can't compare fashion designing and computer programming that way."

_"Why not?"_

Ladybug tried not to groan at her Kwami's naivety. She might be a centuries-old goddess but her knowledge about earthly things are quite amateurish. Despite it, she will never exchange Tikki for the world.

_"The boy that you rescued before, isn't he a fashion model?"_

The superheroine stopped her tracks "Are you referring to Adrien Agreste?"

_"Yeah, that person. I admit he really has the looks and height of a professional model. Checking his data...it appears that he started his career by the age of nine."_

"Tikki," she growled with irritation "Don't tell me you're conducting a background check on Adrien Agreste?"

 _"Why not? He broke your glamour,"_ the Kwami reasoned bluntly _"And as my Chosen, I got the dibs to know if he will also break your heart."_

The heroine snorted as she moved to another building "Too late for that, Tikki. He already broke my heart."

_"What?!"_

"I've been dropping hints since we started in Collège ," Ladybug bemused while reminiscing her civilian life "I gave him a birthday gift that I spent hours knitting but he assumed it came from his father, so I decided not to push it. I also gave him a Christmas hat, and I was happy he knew that it was me who made it, but he gave it away to Santa Claus because his hat was ruined by some carolers. There were times I invited him for some ice cream only to cancel the last minute because his father forbids him. And if ever we had an opportunity to hang out alone, he would always talk about Chloe and Lila or girls he used to meet in photo shoots. He even hooked me up on a blind date with his best friend."

_"I'm so sorry to hear that."_

She shook her head then chuckled "It was all in the past, Tikki. I already moved on."

_"Bu-But, didn't Adrien confess his feelings to you before?"_

"I'm not _Marinette_ anymore, Tikki," she replied as she perched on the southern tower of Notre Dame "I'm now _Ladybug_."

When her Kwami didn't comment further, she added: "I'm glad we were friends when I left a year ago. At least our separation wasn't as nasty as breakups."

_"Ladybug..."_

"What's the purpose of harboring his feelings if I can't return them back?" her bluebell eyes stared at the gray skyline with remorse "His efforts are all futile, Tikki. He loved me far too late now. Too late."


	13. AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt is 'AU' but since this is an AU already, I'll just feature here Ladybug's backstory
> 
> Oh, and did you know that my dog pressed the BACKSPACE key and erased my entire drafts? Thank God for the CTRL + Z

Marinette felt like the world collapsed on her feet when her annual magus test result became Positive.

She panicked at first, believing that the Order will take her away to their facility and be trained there as one of their magical armies. Imagine her surprise when the staff walked inside the room nonchalantly and gave her medical prescriptions to inhibit her magical growth. Not only that, she was also given an option to join the Miraculous army or live her life as a civilian but with certain precautions to follow.

"Akuma is attracted to magus' blood, and they will never think twice but to hunt you once they sniffed even a tiny bit of your magical essence," one of the officers from the Order explained to her "These magical suppressants are temporary solutions and must be taken religiously, but if you want permanent removal, we can conduct a surgery."

"How much will that be?"

She almost choked her spit when she saw the cost, excluding laboratory tests and take-home medicines.

"It's not a curse to have a magus' blood, but a privilege," said the officer "And you have to take a stand for it by defeating Papillion and his Akuma."

However, Marinette sees herself as a clumsy girl with a dream to become a fashion designer, marry her childhood friend Adrien and live in a big house with their three children and their pet dog; not as a magical superhero who saves the day from evil beings.

Her parents decided to support her decision, even reaching to a point wherein they almost sold their bakery just to buy her suppressants. She didn't want that to happen, so she decided to accept sewing commissions and nanny duties in order to meet their ends.

Such drastic changes were left unnoticed by her friends.

It was Alya who approached her first about the oddity of her situation, followed by Adrien and Nino, and as usual, Marinette brushed them off and assured them that it was something for her parent's anniversary.

They immediately brought her lies without any questions asked.

She didn't tell them about her condition out of fear that they might shun her, or worse, someone might use them as a bait to lure her for the Akuma. There were rumors circulating around that Papillion worshipers would pay a hefty sum of money in exchange for a Magus; even Chloe proclaimed once that she will announce it to the world if one of her classmates bears a magus' blood.

Having overprotective parents was too much on her plate, and if she allowed her friends to join in her secret it might lead to several problems – especially towards Adrien.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the blond once asked "You missed most of our classes, and you're getting lots of excuse slips from the clinic. Now you're not available for a Game Night. What's wrong, Marinette?"

She couldn't tell him that sometimes her suppressants failed to stop her magical leak she had to remain indoors until the medicine kicks in, or explain that her powers would often go haywire at night. She didn't want to hurt him, of all people, so she had to lie to save himself from burdens.

"I'm fine, Adrien. There's nothing to worry about."

When she learned about her father's condition, she decided to end their misery.

"I'll take the surgery," she told her parents one night as she handed them the money she saved from her side jobs "I know these are not enough, but with my trust fund I think we can make it without selling the bakery."

"But honey, we saved it for your University," her mother protested.

"Maman, I don't mind missing a year or two," she smiled warmly "As long as we can save Papa too."

She couldn't believe how composed she was when they broke the news about her bearing an ancient magus blood called Creation, and deeming her unqualified for surgery. She thought that maybe she wasn't born to become a fashion designer and marry Adrien at all; that maybe all of her dreams were pointless and she should start investing into something practical. After all, her likes only showed up once in a century.

Her parents mourned for days after she announced her acceptance to Order's call. She tried to cheer them up, suggesting that the money allocated for her surgery can be used for her father's dialysis and kidney transplant, which backfired greatly.

"I'm a father!" he bewailed "I'm supposed to be your protector!"

"But I'm a daughter who loves her father so much," she responded while wiping his fat tears with her thumbs "You've protected me enough, Papa. Now it's time for me to return the favor."

She wanted to spend her last days with her friends, only to realize that they weren't available anymore – Alya was in a short trip with her family in Mozambique, Nino was busy with his DJ gigs while Adrien was preoccupied with his photo shoots.

"Adrien, wait!" she called his attention for the last time.

He was about to enter the limousine when he heard her voice "Marinette? Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she chirped with a beaming smile "I just want you to know that I lo – "

"Can you just text it to me later? I, uh, I'm actually on a rush right now," the blond made a side glance at his scowling driver "I'm sorry for this, Marinette. Call you later?"

Marinette shook her head "I may not be available tonight."

"I see. Talk to you tomorrow then," he sighed apologetically. " _A demain_ , Marinette."

" _Adieu_ , Adrien."

Little did he know, that was the last time he will be seeing the unmasked version of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.


	14. Reverse Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU is doing a Reverse Love Square trope so I'll just include Adrien's backstory. Obviously, a continuation on Prompt 11 - Onesided Reveal

_"You will never know the true value of a person until they're gone"_  was a saying Adrien presumed he will only experience once with his deceased mother. He never thought that he will experience it again but with his best friend.

The day Marinette was gone he thought she was feeling unwell when she didn't show up at school. She was getting sickly lately, and after he expressed his worries about it, she would always say that it was due to the weather. Her parents backed it so he accepted it as normal.

He wasn't concerned when she didn't respond to his texts. He tried to call her during their lunch but it only reached her voice mail. Alya wasn't there to check her, as well as Nino, and he has a gala to attend to after class so he decided to give his friend some rest.

He learned about Marinette's disappearance the next day through Miss Bustier. Alya came back from her vacation, and Nino was present because an announced quiz for Science, so imagine their shock when the news came out. He thought it was a joke, probably a weird prank pulled by everyone despite witnessing how Alya was rushed to the clinic due to panic attacks. He recalled someone shouting his name when he skipped their next class and ran straight towards T&S Boulangerie Patisserie, and when he reached there and approached Tom and Sabine about their daughter's whereabouts, he realized that Marinette's disappearance was actually  _real_.

He couldn't remember what happened afterward or recalled if he ever went back to school or someone picked him up to go home. His brain was screaming nothing but ' _why_ ' -  _Why did Marinette do this? Why did she run away without leaving any notes? Why did she leave her things unpacked? Why did she abandon some things she claimed she couldn't live without? Why didn't she tell anyone about her plan?_

And most of all:

_Why did she leave her loved ones behind?_

At that moment, he realized that Marinette was far more important than just his friend.

Since he couldn't gather much information from her parents, he decided to conduct his own investigation behind her disappearance. His question from ' _why_ ' led him to ' _what_ ' and ' _where_ ', and as he indulged himself more to it, he found out how little he knows about her.

He knew she likes pink but he has no idea that she was into red too. He also knew she has a knack for sewing but didn't know she spends time on knitting, weaving, and gardening. Hell, he wasn't even aware that she once volunteered in their local library as a storyteller until a library staff pointed out her picture in his wallet after he pulled out his ID.

"Adrien, you need to take a rest," Alya approached him one time.

"Look who's talking," he snorted indignantly "Aren't you also busy pursuing the newest member of the Miraculous named Ladybug?"

"That was for the sake of journalism!" she retorted hotly "While Marinette...Marinette doesn't want to see you like this."

"Like what? For not smiling because the person that made me smile was gone? For not eating because the person who used to share her food with me wasn't around? For not sleeping because the person who wishes me good night wasn't texting me anymore?"

"Adrien - "

"Leave me alone, Alya. You don't understand how I feel."

"You're not the only person who cares for Marinette," Nino interjected with a sigh "We understand your frustrations, Adrien, but wallowing in misery will never make her show up again."

"What do you want me to do, huh? Lie to myself and act like it was nothing?!"

"Your methods only do more harm than good!"

"So be it!"

The DJ grasped the blond's lapels with both hands, forcing him to meet his eyes and growled: "As if I'm going to allow another friend to lose under my watch."

"I know it's not my right to tell you this," Alya muttered after they returned to their senses "But Marinette loves you, Adrien."

"I love her too, Alya."

The brunette shook her head "Not in a friendly way."

"You don't understand," said the blond forlornly "I love her more than just a friend."

"Then why - "

"I didn't know, okay? I didn't know, Alya...I didn't...I'm not...I...I..."

The two couldn't help but stare helplessly at their friend who broke down and collapsed to the ground.

"I never realized my feelings until she was gone," he lamented with hands covering his face in remorse "It was far too late now. Too late."

That evening, Nathalie informed him about his appointment with a psychiatrist.

"Is this your roundabout way of telling me that I'm crazy?" he bellowed "That I'm a lunatic?"

"Adrien," the bespectacled secretary winced when another item inside his room crashed "You're destructive. You're destroying yourself inside and out. You barely eat or sleep, and your father - "

"I don't give a damn about my father! Let him know that I'm - "

"Please, do this not for Gabriel but for me," she pleaded with misty blue eyes "You badly need some help."

He agreed to her terms as long as she provided him leads about the reason behind Marinette's disappearance.

Meeting with Dr. Porteau was the best thing he had ever done in his life.

"What you're having right now is remorse," the doctor explained to him during his therapy session "And to resolve that, try to ask yourself: what are the things that I want to do for Marinette?"

.

.

.

.

"...and that was how I ended up on this," said Adrien after he finished his explanation.

"I'm sorry for everything that you went through," Sabine sniffled as she dabbed her eyes with tissues "And thank you for trusting us."

"You're always a son to me," Tom added with a reassuring smile "And perhaps one day, a son-in-law."

"If only I can make Ladybug to like me again." the blond murmured glumly.

A large hand patted his shoulder "I'm certain that she still likes you. We know our daughter well in and out of the mask."

"Thank you for allowing me to vent out my frustrations, Monsieur Dupain."

"Tom. Just call me Tom, or Papa, whichever you prefer." the man winked "You can also start calling my wife as Sabine or Mama."

As Adrien thanked the couple profusely for their hospitality, an old man in floral shirt went out from his car and eyed the 'Close' signage that hung on the bakery's door. He was about to leave when he saw the blond boy went out from the bakery, clutching a paper bag on his side.

 _Looks like it's not a coincidence,_  he bemused internally, _but a fate turning its gears._


	15. Trust

"Where did you go, Adrien?" Gabriel's stoic feature greeted the blond as he entered the house.

"Father," his posture remained stiff and a bit wary at the man's sudden appearance, "I thought you'll be back next week."

"After the fiasco that happened on your leg, I don't think I can manage to tear my eyes away from you for a day."

"You really don't trust me, do you?" his low murmur was barely unheard by the fashion tycoon.

"Adrien - "

"I went to Dupain-Cheng's bakery," was his son's coolly answer "I paid Marinette's parents a visit after months of not showing my face."

"How are they?"

Adrien tried to brush his concerned tone then shrugged nonchalantly "Still mourning for the loss of their child."

"I see." his eyes immediately darted towards the paper bag on his side "They even managed to give you a take-home gift."

"These are wheat bread, and I'm planning to hand this over to our chef for tomorrow's breakfast. I ate just right amount of carbs today if that's your concern. Now if you may excuse me, I have to review my Trigonometry for tomorrow's quiz."

"Adrien?"

The boy stopped his tracks then looked back at his father who remained unmoved on his spot "Yes, Father?"

"Please be careful with your surroundings, and make sure that you're away from Akuma attacks."

"Father?"

"Yes, Adrien?"

The paper bag crinkled slightly when he clenched his fist "Do...do you still blame the Order of Miraculous for Mother's death?"

"They failed to disclose the hazards of surgery," was his cold reply "But because of the negative image of the magus' blood in society, I can't openly sue them."

"In the end, it's just you and your selfish brand," he scoffed under his breath.

"Adrien!"

"Good night, Father. Have a safe evening."

Adrien immediately rushed towards his bedroom then slammed the door shut behind him. Once he secured the locks, he waited for a few moments in case someone will knock and call his rude behavior before he slid himself to the floor and shuddered.

He didn't know what made him do that; he rarely voiced out his reasons towards his father, and never once he deliberately challenged him for a discussion, especially on sensitive topics. Maybe his knowledge of Ladybug's identity and her connection to the Miraculous prompted him to act that way.

He closed his eyes as he collected himself, and when he felt a movement in his room, he swiftly grabbed his saber that was perched on his table then aimed it to the intruder's throat.

"Who are you?" the blond growled at the old man in floral shirt and brown khakis "And what are you doing in here?"

The man eyed the blade interestingly with both hands raised in the air as if surrendering "Allow me to introduce myself - but before that, could you please move your sword away from my neck?"

When Adrien didn't do his bidding, he took a deep breath then snapped his fingers. The blond shrieked when his saber vanished from his grasp then teleported to the man's hands.

He fell down and scrambled to the ground "Yo - you're a magus?!"

"Most people call me Master Fu," the man smiled, throwing the saber on the other side of the room then extended his arm to the flabberghasted boy "And I'm here to talk about Ladybug."

Adrien looked at the offered hand with apprehension "Am I gonna be Cataclysmed again?"

Fu snorted indignantly "Oh no, young Agreste. Only Plagg and his Chosens can do that spell. And no, I'm not planning to erase your memories."

"How will I know that you're not tricking me?" he retorted angrily "That you're trustworthy?"

"Let's just say I have an idea why you have high-caliber suppressants kept in your medicine cabinet, and why you often use your photo shoots as an alibi whenever your catastrophic nature goes haywire."

All of the blood drained out from his face when the old man leaned down with a smug "You, Adrien Agreste, bears an ancient magus blood called Destruction, one of the most powerful Miraculous in the world."


	16. Kiss Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt is actually 'Goodbye Kiss' and originally, I'm supposed to have Adrien dream of Ladybug and she gives him a goodbye kiss there, which is angsty, but then I realized it became out of context, especially that I need to establish more about Adrien's ability :/

"It's okay, Adrien. You don't need to panic."

 _No need to panic?_  Adrien screamed mentally,  _A stranger who just raided my room and discovered my deepest, darkest secret told me not to panic? Is he out of his mind?_

While the blond was having a meltdown and busy debating with his life choices, Master Fu stood up then walked towards the study desk to check the picture frames littering on the area.

"I didn't know that Emilie has a son," the old magus muttered sadly as he traced a particular picture deftly with his fingers.

The words finally broke the boy from his reverie "You know my mother?!"

" _Oui_ ," Fu answered without averting his gaze from the picture "Emilie's role was a support during Akuma battles, and with her Miraculous healing powers, she could heal the entire team's critical wounds in just a minute. We had fewer casualties and deaths during her time."

"I have no idea that Mother was affiliated with the Order before," he uttered with disbelief, then gave the old magus a skeptical look "No wonder Father was blaming you for my mother's death."

Fu sighed exasperatedly "I didn't know that Emilie got an early retirement because she was getting married, or that she agreed for a surgery because she wanted to have a baby."

"A Miraculous wielder can retire?!" the blond rose up immediately, "I thought they were stuck in the Order for the rest of their lives?!"

"That's what the propaganda says – which is quite beneficial to us since we can keep the anonymity of those who left our group."

"But…but you mentioned about mother's surgery because of a baby…" he trailed off as he wobbled towards the bed "Are you referring to me?"

"I only learned about these things after conducting a thorough investigation, and that includes bypassing some privacy rules," he glanced at the boy with deep concern "Surgery doesn't guarantee that your magus' blood will never be passed down to your offspring. Emilie knows that, but she wanted to be a perfect ' _normal_ ' wife to Gabriel, and later on, a perfect ' _normal_ ' mother to their future child."

"So, she – "

"Emilie was given a one-year observation in case the surgery was a success, only to find out that she was pregnant three months later. They have no choice but to withdraw her medicines, which ended up damaging her aura. By some miracle, she survived for nine months carrying you, and few more years taking care of you."

Adrien sat down on the edge of his bed with a shell-shocked expression "Does my...does my father know all of these?"

"According to the reports that I've gathered, yes," Fu scooted himself beside the blond, and quite relieved that he didn't give him a cold shoulder when he tried to sooth his back "No one is to blame, Adrien, not even you. Your mother was aware of the consequences, as well as your father, and I'm sorry that you were not informed about your parent's past. If only I can tell you more about your parent's first meeting and how they fell in love, but those were too personal to be included on the reports."

"I guess that explains why I have a magus' blood," the boy sniffled as he wiped his stray tears "And why Father was pretty strict with me."

"Gabriel did it because he loves you."

"Does she know? Ladybug, I mean?" he balked "Does Ladybug know about my magus' blood."

"That's not my secret to tell, young Agreste," Fu answered with a shoulder pat "Besides, I'm not supposed to dig into your records and reveal these things to you."

"Yet you did. That's why you're here. Is it because I have an ancient magus blood like Ladybug?"

"I really appreciate the Dupain-Chengs' effort to explain everything to you - which saves me a lot of time - despite the fact that they were compelled not to tell to anyone. So it's either you broke the seal unknowingly or you revealed your secret to them."

"I don't know about the seal breaking, but I decided to come out clean this time," muttered Adrien with staid eyes on his lap "If only we were honest to each other, we might've spared ourselves from this mess. I don't mind sharing my suppressants to Marinette if she allowed me."

"You and me both know that high-caliber suppressants will never work on you, especially on Ladybug. Even surgery is out of the option," the old man pointed it out "Your raw powers are far more superior than any Miraculous wielders combined, and almost on par with Papillion's."

"So you're saying that Papillion has an ancient magus blood like us?"

Fu confirmed it with a nod "If you will join the Order, not only we can help you in controlling your powers, we can also liberate France from Papillion's tyranny in a short amount of time."

"So it's like  _'go with us or else_ ' huh?" he scoffed indignantly.

The old man shook his head "There is no ' _or else_ ', young Agreste. We don't force our fellow magus to embrace our movement; though I'm aware that the reward money we issue for every Akuma kills was the main reason for their stay."

"I'm aware of your feelings towards Ladybug, so I want to give you an opportunity to be with her as her equal," he went on "Creation and Destruction are always hand in hand since the beginning of time. They are inseparable, the Balance, the Yin and the Yang. Soulmates."

"I - uh..."

"I'm going to leave you my contact information in case you want to change your mind," he stood up promptly then paused to look at Marinette's pin-up board "You didn't know how you broke Ladybug's glamour?"

Adrien shook his head glumly "Not that I'm aware of."

"Same with Cataclysm?"

He nodded.

Fu made a noncommittal hum then eyed the confused blond again "I hope you will consider my proposal. Your abilities are indispensable to the team."

Adrien didn't make any further comments.

"And one more thing," the old man added with a wink "If you ever accept my offer, you can kiss your sheltered life goodbye."

"What do you mean by - "

In just a snap of his finger, the strange old man vanished into the thin air, leaving a calling card on its wake.


	17. Aged Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. Blame FIFA

Of all the Akumas that Ladybug has ever handled, Adultrino was the first case that confused her the most.

"Why would a three-year-old kid wish to become an adult?! Aren't they supposed to aspire something else?" she exclaimed as a laser beam shot just above her head.

 _"Maybe he was reprimanded by his parents to take an afternoon nap? We don't know,"_ Tikki suggestion buzzed on her earpiece _"Besides, he's not the only child that has been akumatized for some ridiculous reasons. Take Gigantitan, for example."_

"Goes to show that Papillion is willing to go low and play dirty for the sake of his selfish agenda," the spotted heroine huffed as she ducked for covers. She waited for a few seconds before popping her head out to check the area "Got any updates, Tikki?"

_"I received a signal that the Target has been neutralized. The Akuma is now on Green for attack."_

Ladybug blew a sigh of relief as she unclipped her yo-yo from the side "Perfect timing. Location?"

_"Seven o'clock, three hundred meters. Backups are now ready to be deployed. Would you like me to proceed?"_

"Just keep them at bay, Tikki. I think I can manage this alone," she answered while running towards the scene.

_"Be careful, Ladybug."_

The heroine hurled her yo-yo towards the Akuma to call its attention.

Adultrino was literally a human-sized teddy bear and based on what she observed, it has an ability to transform people into adults; to be more specific, it can add a decade or two to their actual age. She was glad that the police and medics were immediately deployed to clear the area and assist some confused victims, as well as those who were screaming for their parents. That way, she didn't have to mind her surroundings while blasting the Akuma into pieces.

Ladybug was able to tear off one of its laser-shooting limbs but the Akuma wasn't fazed a bit as it regenerated another one. Its big, stuffy body cushioned her punches and blows like a pillow, and with its soft landings, her frustrations only grew enough to drop her stance.

And that vulnerability was hastily used by Adultrino to its advantage.

"Ladybug, watch out!" a frantic voice caught her attention, but before she could respond to it, the Akuma shot its laser beam towards her direction.

Her knee-jerk reaction was to cover herself, but she was standing in an open area with no Lucky Charms at hand, so she huddled to the ground and succumbed to her pending doom.

That doom never came.

Her eyes widened with incredulity when a male figure towered on her as he used his body to shield her from Adultrino's attack. She barely realized that the laser beam has dissipated, leaving a burnt smell and a smoke on its wake.

"Are you alright?" her savior asked.

 _Hot_ was pretty much an understatement. He was in his thirties with unruly blond hair, piercing green eyes and a roguish jawline that Ladybug almost swooned if not for the situation. Her bluebell traced the beautiful lines of his neck crevice, down to the luscious shapes of his biceps, and when she reached his bare torso, she _screamed_.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** "

The man was taken aback when he saw how horrified Ladybug was, especially when he crouched down to check her condition. He flinched when she slapped his arm and shrieked " _Don't touch me, you pervert_!"

" _Pe – Pervert_?!" he croaked, but before he could even ask about it, the heroine already scrambled away and left him _alone_ in that open field together with a storming Akuma.

He stood up then gulped nervously when a menacing voice behind him uttered _"Magus…I smell Magus…Magus…"_

Today was a very shitty day for Adrien.

His father grounded him for his snarky attitude yesterday, so he escaped as usual and went out with Nino and their male classmates to chill, but the Akuma attack caused the group to split up. It was fortunate for him to find a shelter, but after seeing Marinette – no, Ladybug in trouble, he immediately leaped towards the danger to save the love of his life.

Only to backfire on his face disgracefully.

He couldn't believe how his Jagged Stone shirt ripped off from his body when Adultrino's laser beam hit him. His skinny jeans were left in tatters because of his longer toned legs and had to plop a button to breathe because his waistline became broader.

At least his Gabriel boxers were stretchable enough to cover his precious jewels.

The dark bubbles that were frothing on his hands and the gnashing sound of the Akuma brought him back to reality.

 _"Magus…I smell Magus…a delicious Magus…Magus…I want…"_ snarled Adultrino as he charged at his way.

 _Welp,_ Adrien thought as he ran for his life, _I guess losing the effect of my suppressor was the last nail in my coffin._

The blond yelped when a yo-yo string wrapped around his body that yanked him out of the Akuma's sight. He knew it came from Ladybug as he landed to an unknown balcony yet unsure why the spotted heroine was nowhere to be found. While surveying the place, he noticed the black hoodie dangling near the rails with a pink note stuck on its sleeve.

"Please wear this garment to protect yourself from cold and take the suppressor that I placed inside the pocket. Thank you for saving me. Signed, Ladybug," read Adrien as he plucked the paper from the garment then chuckled "That's so _Marinette_ of you, my Lady."

A red light swirled around his body a minute after he took the medicine, restoring not only his destroyed garments but also his physical body to normal.

"Okay," he raked his head with a sigh "Now, how can I get out of here?"

.

.

.

.  
"Ladybug, wait up!" the red Kwami shouted as she chased her Chosen who was marching blankly to her quarters "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm planning to bleach my eyes," was her automatic reply "There was this naked man – "

"A _what_?!"

"He was naked, Tikki," the spotted heroine shuddered as she wrapped her arms around her body "And I'm so disgusted with myself for ogling at him but he reminded me of Ad…"

Ladybug darted a beady look then scowled indignantly when her Kwami laughed at her demise "You're not supposed to make fun of me!"

"Bu-but I can't help it!" she snorted much to her student's chagrin "You're such a confused little bean who doesn't know if you like the person – "

"There's no ' _liking a person_ ' here, Tikki!"

"Oh yeah?" the Kwami cocked a brow with a smug "Then why are imagining Adrien – "

"I'm not imagining him as Adrien!" her student bewailed "Besides, Adrien's not a magus!"

This made Tikki sobered immediately "Wait, you mean…"

"Yeah, the person who saved me has a magus blood. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to douse myself with holy water. I'll be in the briefing room later." Ladybug muttered as she slammed the door shut.

The Kwami was left outside the room and wondered if her Chosen was just in denial or simply an oblivious bug.


	18. Valentine

"I hate February fourteen," Adrien muttered under his breath when a hoard of fangirls slammed into the limo as they pulled out from the mansion's gate, with their hands slapping the tinted window of the passenger area screaming Adrien's name and professing their undying love.

A similar sentiment happened again when he was about to enter the school grounds. Thankfully, Françoise Dupon _t_ has a very tight security for celebrities like him that barricaded those rabid fans who wanted to grab and harass him, but the situation became difficult when flowers and chocolates were thrown to his way.

"Are you alright?" asked Nino as the blond began to spew some petals that he accidentally swallowed when a bouquet smacked his face "It's been a while since I last witnessed a girl's fight."

"Yeah," he croaked then squeaked when a bunch of cards and envelopes burst out from his locker.

"Seems like everybody wants you to be their Valentine," Alya deadpanned as she emerged from their side "Good morning, boo."

Adrien rolled his eyes indignantly when his best friend preened with delight "Good morning, bae. You look so dashing today."

"Thanks, handsome. You're cute as usual," the brunette planted a sloppy kiss on her boyfriend's lips much to the blond's disgust "Hey, Agreste. Would you like us to help you dump these incriminating fan mails in the incinerator?"

He shook his head briskly then knelt down to collect the letters "I'd appreciate if you can lend me a spare tote bag. Besides, I can't simply burn something that is made out of love regardless if they're unrequited or not. Marinette warned me not to treat my admirers with apathy."

The two eyed each other for a moment then moved their gaze towards the huddling blond with melancholia. They crouched down and helped the blond collecting the mails in silence.

"So, does this mean that you're going to read it all?" his best friend asked after they placed the mails neatly into the loaned tote bag.

"And reply to them," Adrien answered, hooking the bag on his shoulder as they went to their classroom. He almost dropped it when he saw his desk being buried by gifts then bemoaned " _Oh no_."

"That's a lot of chocolates, dude. Would you like me to help you eat those? I don't mind sacrificing my diet for you."

"Geez, Nino. I have no idea that you're on a diet - "

A flash of yellow zipped on his line of sight, followed by a heavy body that almost snapped his neck.

"Adrikins!" Chloe's squealed excitedly, hugging the blond model like a leech while pushing his two friends to the side "Happy Valentine's day! Papa reserved us a table in our hotel for our dinner date!"

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but I can't," said Adrien as he removed her arms around his neck "I'm grounded for a month."

"I'll have to talk to Papa so he can call your father and lift the ban!"

The blond boy cracked an apologetic smile "Even if Father allows it, I'm still have to decline your offer. I have something important to do tonight."

"Important to do what, thanking your fans for the letters that you received today?" the mayor's daughter scoffed then flipped her hair testily "Why are you still going to do that? Marinette is not around anymore to help you write a reply."

There was a sharp intake of breath at Chloe's selfish words, followed by a loud collective gasp from their classmates.

"Why you insensitive brat – " Alya snarled hotly and about to take charge but Adrien blocked her way with his arm.

He flashed a model smile "Just because Marinette's not here doesn't mean I'm going to break the tradition. Now if you will excuse me, I have to clean up my desk before our teacher arrives."

Chloe was about to talk back but Alya interfered hastily by gripping the blondie's arm and hissed "Don't you dare mention my best friend's name _that way_ again, or I will snap your bones like a chicken drumstick."

Mme. Bustier entered the room just in time to hush the commotion.

Nobody mentioned the exchange as Adrien isolated himself from the rest of the class.

.

.

.

.

"I hate February fourteen," Ladybug scowled as she helped the cops arresting a drunkard who was caught assaulting a female customer in the restaurant. It was her fourth love-related incident that day, and with the unstable hormones permeating in the air, there's a high chance that an Akuma will show up to ruin the day.

Tikki was silent the entire patrol - probably on a date with Plagg - so she was left with no choice but to entertain herself by watching the bypassers below.

She was forced to avert her gaze when she caught a couple having a heated kiss near the park, which made her notice a familiar figure on top of Collège Françoise Dupont.

His tense shoulder jerked when she landed behind him. She was about to reprimand him for staying out late _again_ but when she saw the dark bags under his eyes and the tear stains that marred on his cheeks, she asked warily: "What's wrong, Adrien?"

"Ladybug?" Adrien uttered with disbelief. He furiously wiped the dampness on his face and caused some slight irritation "Yo - you remember me?"

"How can I forget your delicious cocoa?" the heroine quipped, securing her yo-yo to her side as she approached the blond "Why are you crying here on the roof deck of your school alone? What's wrong?"

He shook his head then chuckled "Nothing's wrong, Ladybug. I'm just, uh, reminiscing something."

"Was it bad?"

He shook his head again "It was a memory in the past. A _good_ memory in the past."

"Oh," her shoulder visibly deflated with relief "I'm sorry, I presumed you were sad because you were crying, and you were alone here, so I thought - "

"I never realized that I've been inviting Marinette for a dinner date every Valentines day," was his nonchalant reply, making the heroine choked her spit.

" _W - What_?!"

"Erm, you see," he rubbed his nape with bashfulness "I'm always swamped with love letters and chocolates every Valentines – not that I want to brag - that sometimes I just want to throw them away instead of answering them. Marinette scolded me about it, reprimanding me for breaking a maiden's heart without any proper explanation. She told me it was an un-gentleman, or I'd rather say, dick move."

"She volunteered herself later on, and very much insistent on helping me write my thank you's to my fans, though deep inside I know she just want to eat some chocolates," the blond bemused at the memory "Until such time it became our tradition – her spending a night in my house reading love letters while binge-eating my chocolates. I really miss those times."

Ladybug decided not to make a comment.

"I didn't know that Marinette harbored some romantic feelings towards me at that time. Oh, how I wish she still loves with me despite my shortcomings," he looked at the masked heroine with endearment "What do you think, Ladybug?"

"I can't give you an answer to her behalf," was her stoic reply.

"I'm glad that you're here, you know. I really want to see you today, and I didn't expect that you will show up here, of all places," He pulled out a heart-shaped card from his bag "I have something for you."

Ladybug eyed the red card on his hand for a moment before taking it. She opened it with caution, then froze immediately after reading the content.

" _Your hair is black as night, your pretty bluebell eyes, I wonder who you are underneath that strong disguise. Every day we see each other and I hope that you'll be mine, together our love could be so true, please, will you be my Valentine_?" her head jerked towards the blond with a furious glare "What is the meaning of _this_?!"

He tilted his head as he made a noncommittal hum "You told me before that, and I quote ' _Marinette Dupain-Cheng is dead_ ', so why am I going to hung up on someone who isn't here anymore?"

Ladybug blanched, stepped back slowly then trembled at his piercing gaze "Y – You…? How?"

"There's something about me that no one knows yet," he muttered, sauntering towards her like a panther towards his prey, and when her back hit the corner, he smirked, " 'Cause I have a secret."

The masked heroine gulped audibly as she braced herself for his revelation.

"I am a magus, Ladybug"


	19. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got colds again :'(

"You're not surprised," Adrien immediately stated when Ladybug stood unmoved at the corner with a grim expression "Is there something that you would like to confess?"

"I knew it, Adrien," she sighed glumly, making the blond stopped on his tracks "I knew you were a magus all along."

"How?"

"We're friends since we were kids," the heroine chuckled dryly, tugging the ends of her pigtail out of frustrations "I've been into your room for several times and accessed your toiletries without you banning me. You weren't subtle whenever you apply your suppressors."

"You've seen me?" he asked, staring at the squirming heroine with disbelief "And you didn't ask me about it?"

"You didn't tell me either!" she revolted angrily, which shocked them both. Then she mellowed her tone "You're one of my best friends, and I respect your wish to keep it a secret."

"Did you tell anyone about it?"

Ladybug shook her head.

"I see," his body wobbled then slumped limply on the wall, and with his crestfallen face he asked, "Is this the reason why you didn't tell me about your condition?"

"I don't want you to pity me," was her coolly reply "And if someone discovered my condition, I don't want to lead them to you."

"I will never pity you," he growled with a furious glare "And I know how to protect myself."

"You don't know how the real world works!" she quipped hotly, with her spandex covered hands balled into fists "You might be rich and influential, but Papillion doesn't care about it! He's a ruthless, coldhearted and powerful sorcerer! He will kill you and your loved ones mercilessly in a blink of an eye!"

He was about to talk back until a realization dawned on him "Who's protecting you, Ladybug?"

When the masked heroine faltered at his sudden question, he asked again "Who's there to support and comfort you when things go wrong? Who helps you in defeating the monsters?"

"I have my Kwami and some fellow Miraculous holders as a back-up," she answered while averting her eyes away from his inquisitive ones "But most of the time, I do solo."

Ladybug jerked a bit in surprise when Adrien stood up then patted his jeans to remove the dust "I guess that resolves my decision."

"Decision on what?"

He looked at her with a smile "On joining the Order the Miraculous."

All of the blood drained out from Ladybug's face at his declaration.

"No!" she exclaimed in horror as she marched towards him then grasped his shoulder "You can't, Adrien!"

"Why not?"

Ladybug gasped incredulously "Are you  _insane_?! Joining the Miraculous means putting yourself in danger!"

His brows furrowed "Then what does that implies to you?"

"Adrien, I joined the Miraculous because I need money for Papa's medication!" she snapped testily "Besides, suppressors won't work for me!"

"Suppressors won't work for me either."

"What do you mean?"

" _Marinette_ ," she winced when he uttered her real name "Ladybug, I'm also bearing an ancient magus blood."

The masked heroine dropped her hands on her side then stepped back "No, that can't be true. You're lying."

"I'm not. I've been overdosing myself with suppressors for years to stop my magical leaks, but my power grows stronger to the point that I can destroy anything without me knowing," he explained despondently "I don't want to reach on that point wherein I can harm those people around me."

"So...about my glamour..."

He nodded "I didn't know how I broke it, or have an idea on how I dispelled the Cataclysm."

"There must be some solutions other than joining us, Adrien," she bemoaned "You're going to lose everything!"

"But you are my everything."

She tried not to blush on that bold statement "How about your father? Or Alya and Nino? You can't simply leave them."

"My father will say no regardless of my reason," the blond shrugged nonchalantly "And as for Alya and Nino, they will understand why I left without saying anything. They will likely assume that I have found you."

"This is not something romantic, Adrien. You will live your life fighting Akumas and criminal minds. You'll get hurt not only physically but emotionally. You'll see dead people, and witness them how they were killed. Your friends might die one day; you will die one day, and I - "

"I'm going to make sure that you'll survive in this endeavor," he stepped in front of her, cupping her face gently so her eyes could see his "I'm not going to let you on this fight alone. We're going to face Akumas together as a unit."

"We can't go to dates, or watch movies in public," she murmured despondently "We can't do what normal couples do, or anything that you want to do, or to have, for a girlfriend."

"What are you talking about?" Adrien snorted, wrapping his arms around the masked heroine who squeaked at his action "I'm happy as long as you're here beside me."


	20. Secret Admirer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I'm still sick af

"I guess I have no choice but to mentor you," Plagg sighed as he raked his dark hair with his hand while staring at the blond boy inquisitively "Your name's Adrien, right?"

"And you're the one who Cataclysmed me."

"That must be one hell of an impression, eh?" the Kwami barked a laugh much to the boy's chagrin "Anyway, our first lesson is about control. I want you to focus your energy on a single spot and when I say ' _release_ ', you have to let go of that power. Okay?"

Adrien nodded then closed his eyes to concentrate.

Ever since he abandoned his civilian life and became a Miraculous wielder, he never realized how sheltered he was about the real world. He thought that the Order was only established for exterminating Akuma; he wasn't aware that they were also protecting and saving those people who were oppressed due to their magus blood.

He didn't know that some children were abandoned and killed even at the shy age of two by their own parents just because of their magical essence, while others that were kept alive were sold at the black market for a hefty price. Even adults, especially those with latent abilities and late bloomers, were not spared from murders and human trafficking.

 _"You will realize how cruel this world is once they know who you really are,"_  he recalled his father's words as if it was yesterday  _"Are you ready to face the consequence, Adrien?"_

"I told you to focus, not to reminisce the past!"

"Sorry!" the blond winced, squeezing his eyes shut as he let his mind adrift again.

Ladybug was obviously not happy about his decision. She didn't greet him when he first entered the facility despite his attempts to coax her, and every time he tried to approach her she would turn him down if it was something personal. Master Fu told him that she was like that when she first became a Miraculous wielder – aloof and business-like to everyone.

 _"Most people here joined the Order for various reasons,"_  said the old man  _"Money, protection, companion, family,"_  he paused to look at the blond,  _"How about you, Adrien? What's the reason why you joined the Order of the Miraculous?"_

 _"Freedom,"_  was his immediate answer as he stared at the spotted heroine from afar _"Freedom to protect her."_

"Now  _release_!"

Adrien screamed violently when a surge of magic flowed out from the tips of his fingers. He was out of suppressors for almost a week, so they informed him about the unpleasant feeling he could experience while he was in the remission phase, but boy sure it was painful. It felt like his limbs were being ripped apart from his body.

He was supposed to aim it at one spot as instructed but the force was too overwhelming for him to control.

"Snap yourself out, kid!"

Adrien jerked immediately at Plagg's scolding voice, and almost lost his footing when he opened his eyes and saw the destruction that he had caused.

The training room was completely obliterated as if an explosive bomb diffused inside - the electrical wires were smoked and melted, the circuits were hanging exposed on the ceiling, and the white walls were now charred with bare steel beams corroded by some sort of a chemical.

Adrien was aware how destructive his power was - the number of fixtures and furniture he destroyed throughout the years were enough proof - he didn't know how extensive it will be.

He gulped anxiously as he turned his head towards his assigned Kwami in shame "I'm sorry...?"

"It's a good call that we practiced in a room where we test our micro missiles for Akumas," Plagg crossed his arms with a smug "Don't worry, you're good for a first-timer."

His emerald eyes lit up immediately "Really?"

"You have a thirty minutes break while I look out for a  _sturdier_  practice room," he went on then jerked his thumb to the other side of the room "For the meantime, feel free to entertain your secret admirer there."

His face turned into a ripened tomato when he saw Ladybug waving a mineral bottle on his way.

Adrien jogged towards her with a smirk "So, you're my secret admirer, huh?"

"I just passed by to say hi," the spotted heroine scoffed with a blush "And to give you this."

"Gee, thanks," he said as he uncapped the bottle and gurgled its content.

Ladybug whistled lowly, eyeing the extent of damages in the room "I never thought that your power could be this destructive. No wonder you got Plagg as your Kwami."

"A Kwami that I expect the least," he scowled indignantly, securing his half-consumed water by its lid "Why can't I select Trixx as my Kwami? Or maybe Pollen?"

"That's because your magical essence is not attuned with them."

He gasped incredulously "Does that mean I'm stuck with that old stinky cheese lover?!"

"Hey, don't give me that look. Plagg's not too bad."

"Says the person who has a cookie-lover Kwami" he grumbled with a pout.

"More like a cookie monster," Ladybug shrugged casually "She will kick you out to oblivion if she doesn't have her cookie fix. And that's without remorse."

"That scary, huh?"

"You have no idea," she muttered as she placed her hand on the wall, and as she emitted a red aura, the room began to self-repair itself.

Adrien's jaw slacked with awe. He dropped the mineral bottle absentmindedly and let it roll to the ground when he saw how the walls reattached and mended itself, as well as the ceiling and the exposed cables. It was as if he was watching a movie on a rewind.

He inspected the repaired wall deftly with his fingers and noted the lack of burns or any hints of its damaged condition a while ago.

"My power is to reverse anything destroyed by magic and restore it to its original state," Ladybug's voice broke his reverie "Which is beneficial to the Order since it saved them from being fined for the property damages due to Akuma battles."

"You can undo the magic on people or any living beings but not the injuries caused by it" his statement earned a nod.

"I was scared when I first discovered my ability," she muttered dolefully as she stared at her spandex-covered hands "I couldn't touch a paper without turning it into plants, or a cloth into a hemp. I think I destroyed a lot of things in my room whenever I had a magical leak. There was a time I woke up in a bed full of branches and dead leaves."

"I've had this ability since I was born," Adrien interjected, placing his bare hands on top of hers "They molded me to a belief that my powers are meant to be kept in public, that I have this weird illness that I can't share to anyone. I live on that fear, Marinette, and because of that fear, I became a recluse."

"Now I understand why you didn't shake my hand when we first met," she snorted.

"You were my first friend, my first best friend, and the only one who taught me on how to live my life despite my secret. You made me see the beauty of the outside world that scared me the most, and the reason why I should be brave enough to venture it," he confessed, linking her fingers with his then squeezed it lightly "Without you, I don't think I will ever go to public school, or even meet Nino and Alya. So, thank you, Marinette. Thank you for making me see the things in a better perspective, for releasing me on this curse called insecurities, and for being there with me all along."

"I did those things because I want to, not because I want some paybacks. Please, Adrien," she pleaded "You have to quit the Order before it's too late."

"What if I don't?"

Ladybug squeezed her eyes as she mustered all of her strength not to revoke her patience "You're making this harder than I thought."

"Why are you still wearing a mask, Marinette?" he asked, "Why do you wear it even inside the facility?"

"I want to remind myself that I'm here not for myself." was her stoic reply.

"Why are you preventing yourself to seek happiness? To seek freedom?"

"Because I have no choice!" she lashed out as she stepped away from him "Unlike you who has the means and ways to survive in a society of normal people with the help of suppressors. I'm nothing but a peasant, Adrien. I'm just a baker's daughter without this mask. But this mask, this glamour that I am wearing right now, grants me another reason to live."

"If you really want me to be happy," she quivered with a smile "You have to keep yourself away from harm."

"But I want to keep you away from harm too!"

She shook her head "You can't."

"Why not?" he asked, and when she failed to respond he continued "How can I convince you to accept my words? That I deserve to be your equal?"

"Three days," she told him "If you can control your power in just three days then I'll accept you."

"Sure."

True to his words, Adrien mastered everything in less than two days.


	21. Matching Outfits

"We have a matching outfit," Adrien awed at his reflection after he donned his uniform.

"Given that you have an ancient magus blood like me, it's better if you have a similar reinforcement suit that secures your magical leak if things go haywire," said Ladybug while observing his suit with a grim expression "But I don't understand why you have pockets.  _Pockets_."

"That's because I'm way better at costume designing than your Kwami," Plagg interjected, which earned a cheeky tongue from Tikki "Hey kid, put these on your head."

The blond's brows furrowed when he accepted a pair of cat ears "What are these for?"

"Radar sensors, which enhances your hearing capacity," was the black Kwami's explanation, then handed him a dark mask "Here's your glamour. Try it."

After securing the faux ears on top of his head, Adrien slipped the eye mask that clung neatly on his skin.

"Any uncomfortable feeling like itchiness or something?" asked Plagg.

The blond shook his head then blinked wildly at the imagery "Whoa, I'm seeing some digits on the side...wait, are these heat readings?"

"Ladybug, would you mind if you could turn the lights off?"

The spotted heroine nodded as she compiled the black Kwami's request.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Adrien when the room became dark "I've got night sensors?!"

The switch was flipped on "That's because some Akumas often show up at night."

"So it's pretty handy, huh? Cool."

"You look like a cat," the heroine bemused at the blond's appearance "And what's with the bell anyway?"

"I asked him about that but he won't tell me the real reason behind it," Plagg snickered much to the blond's offense.

He was wearing a dark leather-like spandex that covers his body from foot to neck, with matching combat boots, clawed gloves, and a tail-like belt. On his back latched his staff, his weapon of choice that he can elongate or separate into two with a touch of a button, and on his finger was a green-pawed ring Miraculous.

"Hey, don't make fun of my bell," Adrien frowned at his Kwami "It's a symbol of an ownership."

"Of who?"

The blond winked suggestively at Ladybug who groaned exasperatedly.

"Why, do I look so  _claw_ -some in your eyes  _meow_ , Buginette?" he wiggled his brows much to her chagrin.

"I should've kept my mouth shut if you'll bombard me with cat puns," she deadpanned "And will you stop calling me Buginette?"

"But my Lady, I find that nickname so endearing!" he mocked an offended look "It's so  _spot on_  to your actual name!"

" _Adrien_!"

"Hey, hey. I did not call you both here to flirt," said Tikki which made the two fall into a flustered mess "Shall we proceed to the training room so we can begin the durability test?"

As they walked towards the assigned area, Ladybug asked: "Why did you choose a staff instead of a sword or rapier even though you're so good at fencing?"

"I'm also proficient with bōjutsu," answered the blond "And besides, the staff has cooler gadgets than any weapons that I've tried. It has a GPS, an image scanner and a communicator all at once! It's like a smart staff!"

"Boys and their toys", the red Kwami rolled her eyes indignantly, and her reaction warranted a side poke from her counterpart.

While the Kwamis settled themselves in the control room, Ladybug and Adrien went inside the assigned training room. It was bigger than the usual practice room that he had with Plagg, but with obstacle courses like ramps and tunnels.

Plagg's voice echoed in the intercom "Ehem, so we are going to perform a durability test on your upgraded suits. Kid, I want you to focus your power on your Miraculous and once you felt a stinging sensation there, you have to say ' _Claws Out_ '"

Adrien raised a thumbs up sign.

"Now the Little Lady there will make sure that your transformation is complete, and if things will go crazy, she can stop you immediately," the Kwami went on "She will demonstrate you first on how to sync yourself with the Miraculous. Ready?"

Ladybug nodded then chanted " _Spots On!_ "

Adrien gasped when her earrings - he thought it was an earpiece at first - glowed in red, followed by her red uniform in black spots for mere seconds. There weren't any visible changes in the appearance, but once he made a closer look...

"Your glamour is fully activated," he commented with astonishment "Your earrings became red with black spots!"

"And my weapon became fully functional," Ladybug answered, pulling out her yo-yo and showed him the functions by opening its cover "Plus, I can communicate freely with my Kwami."

"Interesting."

"Your turn?"

Adrien closed his eyes to concentrate his power to his Miraculous then chanted " _Claws Out!_ "

He felt a familiar surge of power enveloping his body which lasted for a few seconds, and when he opened his eyes, he noticed the immediate changes.

"My tail-belt moves? And...wait, can you check if I can wiggle my cat ears?" he asked Ladybug who bit the inside of her cheeks, then he pulled out his staff "Let me check my weapon...whoa,  _what sorcery is this_?!"

 _"Your suit and your weapon are pretty much ordinary unless you power it up using your Miraculous,"_  the blond jolted with a squeak when Plagg's voice reverberated in his ear _"And stop acting like a fool down there."_

" _You can talk in my mind_?!"

" _Of course I can, you dumbo. That's why I made you sync yourself with the Miraculous,_ " the black Kwami huffed _"The Miraculous binds you to me, your Kwami, and at the same time it serves you as your Stabilizer which prevents you from exhausting your magical essence and your Limiter which will warn you if your power is on critical limit."_

"Awesome."

Ladybug cocked her hips "Now, shall we test your suit  _Chaton_?"

" _Chaton_?!" he gasped incredulously at her taunts "I'm in no way a  _Chaton_  but a  _Chat_! That's right, I am Chat Noir!"

"Then prove yourself,  _mon Minou_ " the heroine smirked, which riled him more "Or shall I just call you,  _Matou_?"

Adrien extended his staff and began to attack his ever-confident Lady.


	22. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aside from having flu, my Mom fell down yesterday and broke her hips. Good thing I was there, despite sick, when she cried for help. We had to call an ambulance and after X-ray, we found out that she needs a major surgery.
> 
> So please bear with me if there will be some delays :'(

Adrien was busy discussing something with Plagg when a blaring sound of siren caught their attention.

"What was that?" the blond asked when he noticed a shift on his Kwami's expression

"Code Red," was Plagg's grim reply "Which means a highly dangerous Akuma was on the loose. Let's go, Kid."

They rushed immediately towards the briefing room, but before they could even enter, Ladybug's furious voice halted their steps.

"What do you mean I can't go out there?!" the heroine bellowed with balled fists on the sides "We all know that I have the capacity to defeat that Akuma!"

"But that Akuma was sent specifically for you," Fu responded with a sigh "Papillion found out that you're an ancient magus, a bearer of Creation, and I don't think it will take him much time to discover that we also have the true bearer of Destruction."

All eyes in the room turned towards Adrien who simply gulped audibly at their inquisitive stares.

Ladybug turned her head back to Master Fu again "This is not just about our identities, Master. There are hundreds of civilians out there injured and probably - Heavens forbid - a few died because of this Akuma attack!"

"We already deployed some of your colleagues to take down the Akuma."

"Two of them are incapacitated," she reasoned hotly "One is currently in the ER fighting for her life. No one has successfully reached the Target. How many Miraculous wielders are we going to sacrifice for the sake of your cowardice?"

"Ladybug - "

"Let me face Hydralysis, Master," she pleaded "We will never know if it's a trap or not if I don't reveal myself and confront the Akuma. Besides, it's too easy for me to kill the creature."

"But - "

"My Chosen is right, Master," Tikki interjected "We have no reason to keep her existence from Papillion anymore. I trust her judgment, and I know that she's more than capable of handling the Akuma."

Fu sighed exasperatedly then eyed the spotted heroine "I'm not allowing you to face Hydralysis alone."

"I'll go with her."

All eyes in the room turned towards Adrien who spoke: "Let me accompany her, Master."

" _Are you crazy_?!" Ladybug's eyes almost popped out from its sockets as she exclaimed, "I'm not going to put your life in danger!"

"And I'm not going to put your life in danger either!" he snapped back.

"Okay, that's enough," Fu interrupted while pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve the stress "This is not a perfect time for some heroics, Adrien. Same goes for you,  _Marinette_."

Ladybug's face blanched while Adrien sputtered incoherently.

"I think," Plagg drawled, attracting all the people's attention in the room "It's better if the kid will also be deployed out there."

"And why are you suggesting that, Cheese Ball?" asked Tikki with crossed arms, unimpressed.

"You're not the only one who has a promising Chosen, Sweet Tooth," the black Kwami grinned at his counterpart "And while the Little Lady is using her scary tactics on Papillion' messenger, my kid here can move stealthily to rescue our Target. The faster we neutralize the Target, the easier we can eliminate the Akuma."

"What if it's a trap?" she asked, "We might lose both of our ace cards at the same time."

"We're talking about the bearers of Creation and Destruction here, Tikki. Yin and Yang. Two parts of a whole," he pointed out casually "Separate the two and we'll have some imbalance. If this is really a trap for Ladybug, who do you think is the best person that can counter it?"

Everyone was humming to agree, and as much as Ladybug wanted to deny it, she couldn't help but see the advantage of using Adrien's destructive power to defeat Hydralysis.

"Very well then," Fu's commanding voice broke the commotion "We are going to send out Ladybug and Chat Noir in the field. Wayzz, what's the current status of the Akuma?"

"Akuma is in Bateau Concorde Atlantique, heading towards Pont Royal," the green Kwami answered stoically while navigating the screens "Number of casualties, one hundred and thirty-four, including twelve injuries due to acid sprays and five due to bad falls. Number of deaths, zero. Property damages, to be confirmed. Target status, coherent. Time remaining for the Target before falling into a coma state, sixty minutes and forty-seven seconds."

"You have an hour left to rescue the Target," said the old man to the teens "Ladybug, you will do the front lines since you're Papillion's main goal, while you, Chat Noir, will handle the Neutralizer."

"Actually..." the spotted heroine trailed off as she eyed the male blond "Why don't I handle the Neutralizer while Chat does the front lines?"

Adrien cocked his brow at her suggestion "Hey, what am I supposed to do on the front lines?

"Easy - just piss off the enemy and make sure you don't get a hit."


	23. Celebrity Power Couple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Ladynoir for the soul

Hydralysis was an eight-headed sea serpent Akuma that was spewing acid ink on everything. According to the reports, a street vendor was accused by a customer for using a squid instead of an octopus on his takoyaki.

"Can you differentiate the taste between a squid and an octopus?" Adrien wondered as he scaled the buildings with his staff.

 _"Beats me,"_  Plagg answered nonchalantly _"I'm not into seafood, kid."_

Adrien was first to head out so he could buy Ladybug some time to reach the Target. For her to neutralize the Target, she must cut the ' _magical strings'_  that bind the akumatized person to the Akuma. These magical strings were only visible to Miraculous wielders' eyes, and most of the times these strings were just floating in the air.

The cutting process is a different story.

"Hey, Squidward!" the blond in a feline suit yelled as he perched on one of the streetlight in Pont Royal, catching not only the Akuma's attention but also the reporters on the area " _Cod_  I have  _salmon_  of your time?"

"Who are you?" asked Hydralysis.

"I am Chat Noir," Adrien declared proudly "I stand for love, and I also stand for justice! And in the name of the Miraculous, I will punish you!"

A purple butterfly-shaped mask appeared on one of the Akuma's serpent head "Another mediocre user has been sent out, and a jokester to the boot. Very well, if they are still adamant to release Ladybug then I have no choice but to kill you!"

A collective gasp was heard among the crowd when one of the Akuma's head spurted an ink towards the feline hero's direction, but it was deflected easily by a twirl of his baton.

" _Fish_  that the best that you can give?" the black-clad feline hero smirked confidently much to the Akuma's chagrin " _Shell_  I  _shoal_  you who's the mediocre and jokester among us?"

A butterfly mask appeared again but on a different head, and when it disappeared, the Akuma began to charge the superhero in full blast.

"Oh  _buoy_ , aren't you a salty monster?"

"That monster's name is Hydralysis!"

" _Water_ -ver."

People began to cheer when Adrien dodged all ink squirts coming from Hydralysis' heads, which distracted the Akuma from detecting Ladybug's presence when she dived underwater and swam near its behind.

 _Still showy as ever,_  the spotted heroine bemused to herself when her partner somersaulted in the air, trying not to chuckle when his boots slipped on the awning and almost face-planted himself to the pavement.

 _"Twenty three minutes left,"_  reminded Tikki _"Have you seen the magical strings?"_

"Not yet," the heroine replied, clasping her Lucky Charm in a form of a blade "This Akuma has eight heads, and Papillion's mask appeared at random. Sometimes it was on the second head, now it just appeared on the fifth. I need to find the akumatized object."

_"Do you think the akumatized object was inside the Akuma's body like Glaciator?"_

"I don't think so. Oh gosh, I hope that's not the case," she answered while scanning the Akuma's rear "God knows what would happen to the Target if I chop off Hydralysis' head and have Chat Noir cataclysm its wounds. He knows how to use Cataclysm, right?"

_"Plagg told me that mastered it, including the memory wipe. Twenty-two minutes left."_

Ladybug cursed under her breath as she loomed her eyes on the Akuma's scaled body. Akumatized objects usually stand out and distinguishable to the observant eye, and she should've been discovered it by now but the Akuma was quite sneaky this time. She was afraid that Adrien might not handle Hydralysis any longer given that this was his first assignment as a Miraculous user, and probably he needs some help right now -

_"Twenty-one minutes."_

The spotted heroine took a deep breath to calm herself down. She shouldn't let her worries about Adrien's situation distract her from her task. She knew that he was capable of handling his own battles, and he proved himself a dozen times not only to her but also to Master Fu that he was worthy to bear the Cat Miraculous.

_"Twenty minutes."_

"I'm trying!" she sneered, but it was more to herself "I still can't find that damn object, and I don't think its tail..."

Something glittered on the end of Hydralysis' body, and when she drew herself closer she found a thin strand of magical string.

"I found the Target," she muttered excitedly then sliced the Akuma's tail with her Lucky Charm without any second thoughts, snapping the magical strings that bind the akumatized person from Papillion's control.

Adrien immediately noticed how Hydralysis shrieked in pains when Ladybug neutralized the Target, which made him anxious more knowing that the Akuma became a soulless moppet with free reins. He could use his Cataclysm to destroy it, but he wasn't sure if Ladybug was okay, or if she was still under the water with the Target or that -

"Chat Noir!" his spotted partner yelled as she hoisted the unconscious akumatized vendor from the Seine "All green!"

"As you  _wish,_  my Lady!" he answered then chanted " _Cataclysm_!"

Within a few seconds, Hydralysis disintegrated into dust as Adrien touched its body with his black, bubbling hand. A ' _Miraculous Cleanse_ ' was heard afterward, followed by red swirls of light that restored all damaged properties to its original state.

The blond superhero immediately leaped towards Ladybug who just finished endorsing the akumatized victim to the medical team "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah," she answered then cocked her brow when she noticed his wet appearance, "I thought cats hate water?"

" _Water_  you talking about, Buginette?" he smirked when she rolled her eyes indignantly " _Purr_ -haps I'm just a cat with many talents."

"You don't have any plans of dropping that stupid nickname and lame puns, huh?"

Adrien clutched his chest and feigned a hurtful look " _Meow_ -ch, my Lady! It was a  _claw_ -some nickname, as well as my puns. They're  _pun_ -tastic!"

He snickered when she slapped her forehead then groaned inwardly "I can't believe I'm going to deal with this. I should speak with my Kwami to change my partner!"

"No, you can't!" he gasped theatrically " _Purr_ -lease don't abandon me, Buginette!"

She was about to retort back when she noticed the hoard of reporters that were coming in their way "I guess we need to scram before they get here."

He nodded in a cringe "I believe so, my Lady."

"I want you to know that you did a great job for your first mission,  _mon Minou_ ," she said then raised her fist towards him.

"It's a pleasure working with you," he flashed a lopsided grin while raising his fist to meet hers. "For our partnership?"

"For our partnerahip."

" _Bien joue_!"

Later that night, the two were baffled when a ' _Ladynoir_ ' was trending worldwide due to a post from the Ladyblog, and more when Master Fu handed them a newspaper the next morning with their superhero selves on the front page and the headline was ' _Celebrity Power Couple'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mom's surgery was a success and she will be discharged by tomorrow. I will try my best to finish this prompt ASAP so I could start brainstorming for next month's Fluff/AU challenge. I don't think I can catch up with Ladynoir July now :(


	24. I Need to Transform into Chat Noir but You Won't Leave

"If you weren't _sissy_ ," huffed Ladybug as she ran on the hallway "We could've been there before the Akuma raided Le Grand Paris."

"Well, _I'm sorry_ for delaying our job, my Lady," retorted Adrien sarcastically, trailing just behind her "Because I need to transform into Chat Noir but you won't leave."

"Can't you just strip naked and don your attire like any models do in the same room with other people?"

"Not if that ' _other people_ ' is their crush!"

The spotted heroine almost tripped herself at his sudden outburst with a face as red as her costume. She didn't speak to him after that, not even until they reached the Akuma location and defeated it.

Adrien was a bit miffed at how she downplayed his feelings, like she was trying to deny his romantic feelings for her. It's been months since he abandoned his civilian life and lived as a Miraculous wielder named Chat Noir, and during those times he was very straightforward and open to his emotions. Even the media noticed it, as well as the Ladyblog who once featured an article about their partnership and chemistry.

"She was right," the black Kwami commented after he vents out his frustrations "Besides, you two had a joint shower before."

"We were six that time!"

"Who cares? The point is, you've seen each other naked before. There wasn't much difference in her body except her height and body structure."

The blond grumbled incoherently under his breath then slumped limply on the floor "What if she doesn't like me anymore?"

"Why don't you ask the person herself instead of moping here like a famished kitten?" scoffed Plagg much to his Chosen's irritation "You humans and your desire for mate…why don't you just eat some cheese and call it Nirvana?"

"Cheese as stinky as Camembert is called ' _Punishment from Hell_ '."

The black Kwami stuck his tongue.

"But seriously, Plagg," Adrien sighed mournfully "What am I supposed to do?"

"Why are you asking me this kind of question? Tikki knows a lot more about the Love Department," he suggested.

His Chosen shook his head "If I told her, she might relay everything to her student."

"Hmm, you're right. That sweet tooth doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut especially if it's about the little lady," his Kwami pondered while scratching his chin "Maybe the problem is not with Ladybug."

He sat up immediately "What do you mean?"

"Did you know why she joined the Order of the Miraculous?" asked Plagg, which earned a brisk nod "How about the reason behind why she wears her glamour all the time?"

"To ground herself from her purpose," he muttered dismally "Which seems nonsensical."

"Why don't you focus on that aspect first?" the black kwami proposed, and when the blond tilted his head in question, he sighed "You're coming in too strong for her, kid, so she purposely ignored you because of her stupid beliefs. So, for you to reach her, you need to defeat her demons first."

Adrien felt like a bucket of cold water was splashed on his face as he absorbed his Kwami's words. _I can't believe I'm doing it again_ , he cursed internally. _I can't believe I'm being self-centered again._

"A lot of things could happen in a year," Plagg went on then patted the frustrated blond on his back "She's not the _Marinette_ that you used to know a year ago, so you need to reintroduce yourself again but to _Ladybug_."

His brows furrowed "But Marinette and Ladybug are just the same people."

"I have no clue why she was disassociating herself from the reality. It could be her some sort of coping mechanism, we don't know," the Kwami shrugged nonchalantly then eyed his student with impassive looks "When you joined the Order of Miraculous, you lost nothing. For Marinette, she lost _everything_. Try to put yourself in her shoe."

Adrien raked his blond locks out of resentment. He realized how selfish he was for pushing himself to her without considering her feelings. He didn't even bother to ask if he was infiltrating her personal space or not. He should've known for the fact that Marinette didn't join the Order to find romance; she was there to spare her family from being Papillion's bait.

But that doesn't mean she has to oppress herself in finding happiness.

"What am I supposed to do?" he wondered out loud then winced when a steel rod hit his head.

"Get up there, Loverboy. We have some training to do."


	25. Quiet Night In

"I can't believe I am doing _this_ ," Ladybug grumbled as she stepped into the quiet halls of Collège Françoise Dupont "Breaking and Entering, that is."

"C'mon, my Lady. You can just _fly_ away if this really _bugs_ you," Adrien snickered cheekily, which earned a beady glare from his companion "Besides, we almost finished our patrol with no Akuma on sight. And since it's too early for us to go back to our base, why don't we enjoy ourselves for a few moments? The night is still young."

"What if somebody sees us?"

"You mean, _spotted_ us," the heroine scrunched her nose then stuck a tongue out at the blond's puny correction "We both know that the security guards don't roam around this area after nine."

"I don't want to pull that stunt again," she grumbled.

The feline hero smirked, "Why, are you still scared of the dark, Buginette?"

"N – no?" she squeaked nervously much to the boy's bemusement "I – I'm just worried that we might get caught this time, not like the last time we sneaked out for that stupid Test of Courage, in which I – **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP**!"

Thanks to his night vision, Adrien was able to witness how Ladybug accidentally hit the edge of the baluster, prompting her to crouch down on the farthest corner with her eyes shut closed.

He couldn't help but smiled at her bravery despite her fears, especially when his faux ears captured her mutterings about ghosts and ghouls. Picking up her yo-yo that she used as her flashlight on the floor, the blond knelt beside her then soothed her latex-covered back in circles.

"It's alright, my Lady. We can go back here next time."

Ladybug shifted towards his way with quivering lips "Ju – just to let you know I'm not scared, o - okay? N – not at all. Y – you heard me?"

"Of course, you're not scared. I mean, you've killed big, bad, _ferocious_ monsters for breakfast. By the way, I see a mouse on your left side."

" **HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!** "

Adrien burst out laughing at her violent shrieks, and when she realized that he was joking, she immediately socked him with her yo-yo then chided " _You stupid cat_! What if the guards heard us?!"

It took him a few minutes to recover his bearings before he could utter "That must be a _cat_ -astrophe."

Ladybug felt no remorse when she gave him a solid punch to his stomach, making him yelped in pains.

When they entered Mme. Bustier's classroom, their humor was still there.

"Phew, I miss this seat!" declared Adrien as he slid himself on the front row desk, with his cheek rubbing happily on the surface "Hmm…either Nino cleaned the pot's soil or they were not doing that tradition again."

"What tradition?"

Adrien sat up properly, sighing "When we first learned about your disappearance, you see, there was a tension going on."

"Okay…?"

He sighed again then rubbed his neck awkwardly "One day, Chloe brought some flowers and placed it on your table."

The spotted heroine tilted her head in confusion "I never thought that Chloe could be that sympathetic despite our differences. So, what's wrong with the flowers - "

"Marinette," he interjected stoically "She gave you funeral flowers."

"Oh," was all she could utter. She couldn't even force herself to be surprised at Chloe's actions.

Ladybug walked towards her seat – her civilian's previous seat located just behind Adrien's – then traced the edge of the desk by her spandex-covered in nostalgia "I can only imagine Alya's reaction to that."

"It was a pandemonium," scoffed Adrien as he observed how his companion sat on her old seat with unreadable eyes "Blood was drawn that day, and I guess you have an idea who got the worse."

She didn't make any comments, so he continued "When M. Damocles gave Alya two-week suspension, all the girls boycotted the class to express their displeasure. The boys supported them, as well as the entire student body. Everybody loves you, Marinette."

"I'm sorry," she muttered solemnly with drooped head "For not saying goodbyes. For leaving you guys in the dark. I'm scared what would happen if other people will know my secret; either they will sell me to Papillion's henchmen or they might harm my friends. Or both."

"While I'm a bit upset that you kept these things from us, I have no reason to blame you for your actions. To be honest, I'm the one who should say sorry," Ladybug raised her brow at his apologetic words "As your childhood best friend, I should've noticed your condition given that we have the same predicament. I wasn't there on those times that you were having some troubles, and often abandoned you to attend to my personal needs."

"Adrien," she smiled, looking at him at a familiar angle "The reason why I tried not to get closer to you after I learned about my condition was to prevent you from discovering it, which is a ' _bullshit_ ', if I'm going to be blunt."

He chuckled.

The two superheroes sat on their previous seats as they stared at the clean whiteboard in silence.

"Are you having regrets?" asked Ladybug without tearing her gaze away.

"About what?"

"About having a magus blood."

"No, not at all," was Adrien's honest reply "You?"

"At first," she muttered, resting her head on her folded arms "I always want to become a fashion designer just like your father. Build a famous line, have my own family – "

Adrien suddenly lashed his head towards her with disbelief then croaked " _Fa – Family_?!"

Ladybug bit the inside of her cheek to control her laugh "Yeah, a loving husband with three kids – "

" _Th – Three kids_?!"

"Of course," the heroine tried not to look at his blanched face as she maintained a stoic look "I will name them as Louis, Emma, and Hugo. Then we'll adopt a cat as a pet, or maybe a dog. That depends on my future husband's preference."

"A cat, definitely a cat," he grumbled under his breath.

"What did you say, _mon Minou_?"

"Nothing!" the blond squeaked then stood bolt upright "A-Anyway, it's almost midnight. We better go now. O – Our Kwamis are probably waiting for our return."

Ladybug stifled her giggles as she followed her ridiculous feline partner.

Before they could leave the school's premise, the heroine eyed a familiar balcony above a certain bakery. The yearning was evident on her bluebell orbs, especially when she saw the middle-aged couple snuggling on a pink lounge in comfort as the fairy lights from the outdoor garden illuminated their sleeping faces.

And the sight wasn't left unnoticed by Adrien.


	26. Rooftop Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to cat-ch up!

"Are you ready for our rooftop date?"

Ladybug gave him a deadpan look as he wiggled his brows that was barely concealed by his dark mask "Adrien, I've never considered our night patrols as dates, much more a romantic date."

"Friendly date, maybe?" the blond suggested, wincing at the term that he used "Man, I really need to up myself."

"What are you talking about, _Chaton_?" the spotted heroine bemused, ruffling his silky hair much to his chagrin "You're more than just a best friend. You're the awesome partner one could ever wish for!"

"Okay, I'll accept that title. For now," he grumbled obscurely then swatted her hands with a pout.

For some unknown reasons, they haven't had any Akuma attacks for almost a week. Some speculated that Papillion was having a vacation somewhere outside Europe, probably in Peru according to Plagg as it housed the most butterfly species in the world, while others said that he might have undergone hibernation.

"Technically speaking, butterflies and moths don't hibernate. They just enter into a state of dormancy," said Tikki during their meeting "Majority have hibernated in their larval stages, followed by the pupae, eggs and lastly as adults."

"How about ladybugs?" the blond asked, giving his partner a side glance "Ladybugs hibernate through the winter, right?"

The red Kwami nodded.

 _So that explains why Marinette slept for two days after we defeated Frozer,_ Adrien thought, dragging himself back to reality.

They were standing on top of Sacré-Cœur when an idea hit him "My Lady?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you eat aphids?"

Ladybug turned her head towards her companion "Do you eat mice?"

"No?"

"Then my answer is also no."

"Oh," he uttered dumbly "Okay."

The heroine smirked as she looked at the horizon "Want me to take south?"

"Sure," he answered, extending his baton so he could leap to the north side " _Cat_ -ch you later!"

She shook her head at his ludicrous pun "Silly Kitty."

Adrien's patrol route was fairly easy – one burglar attempt, three drunkard fights, and zero Akuma assault – so he decided to grab some snacks before he proceeds to their meeting place.

Few minutes after his arrival, Ladybug landed behind him with two cans of soda.

"Now this feels like a real rooftop date!" he exclaimed in jubilant, then scoot himself to the side so she could sit beside him.

"Dream on, _Chaton_ ," she rolled her eyes indignantly as she took the space that he offered "I'm trying to be polite here since you messaged me that you bought us some food."

"Oh yeah, running around arrondissements for hours cat me hungry," the masked girl snorted at his comment "Any interesting encounters on your way, my Lady?"

"Just a lover's quarrel that lasted for fifteen minutes. Pretty uneventful. You?"

"A couple of drunk aggression and an interrupted B&E."

Ladybug whistled then passed him a soda "You have a very interesting night, while I…"

She trailed off when she saw a familiar logo stamped on the paper bag that held their snacks.

"I saw this famous boulangerie patisserie in Gottlib street that sells the best croissants in Paris," he explained, trying not to notice how his companion blanched after noticing the pastry logo "Then I recalled a certain someone, a dear best friend of mine, who would bring me fresh croissants when we were in collège. You see, I often skip meals because of photo shoots, and this dear best friend of mine who sat behind me would always share her food, sometimes her beverages like hot cocoa or tea to go with the bread. I haven't paid her back yet, so I'm hoping that I'm still not late to return the favors."

"I…"

When Adrien saw the hesitation on her stance, he immediately took the initiative by offering her a fresh croissant wrapped in a paper napkin "You've been holding yourself back for so long, Marinette."

"Bu-but I – "

"C'mon, my Lady," the blond smiled then deftly placed the golden pastry at her clammy hands "There's nothing wrong if you eat that. They're delicious when warm, you know?"

Her bluebell eyes began to water when the buttery scent hit her nose, and with trembling hands, she hovered the croissant near her lips. The crunchy sound when she took the first bite and the distinctive caramelized butter that she tasted after chewing were enough to bring her to the edge.

"I…I miss them…terribly...Horribly...I miss my parents so, so much," she confessed as fat tears began to spill on her spotted mask "I miss... I miss my pink bedroom walls and...and the cluttering of my sewing materials on the floor. I miss… I miss those early mornings wherein Maman rouses me... and - and scolds me for my tardiness... I also miss Papa's… Papa's foods and his - his bellowing laugh every time I pull a corny joke. I – I want to go back to school and see Alya again…and Nino…and all of our friends. Hell, I even miss Chloe's weird antics."

Adrien snorted on that.

He wrapped his arms around her shuddering body, pulling her closer to his heat. He cooed then rocked her body gently as her dam broke harder.

"I thought…I thought I could live with this," she sniffled against the blond's leather covered chest "I thought…I thought I will be fine. I want to go home, Adrien. I really, really, want to go home. But I can't."

"Shh, it's okay, Marinette," he murmured, shifting her body to his lap so he could hug her tighter "I got you. I got you, my Lady. We'll make it happen."

She buried her head more at the nook of his shoulder with hands draped on his back "Not until we defeat Papillion."

"That's why I'm here," he replied, his other hand caressing her head while the other was making circles on her spine "That's why I joined the Miraculous not only to help you but also to save you from this unwanted place."

He felt her mouth quivered, tickling his skin "You're too kind, Adrien. I don't think I deserve you."

"I don't deserve you either, Marinette. Hey, look at me," he tilted her head so she could see the utmost sincerity on his emerald hues "Look at me, My Lady. You're an amazing, brave, creative, wonderful, and absolutely gorgeous person that I've ever met in my life. Without you, I am nothing. You're my everything, Marinette. You're my world."

"Adrien…"

"You're too precious to me, and I don't want to see you like this – hurt, sad and contained," he planted a kiss on her forehead then embraced her again. With his clear staid eyes looking at the horizon, he rested his chin at her crown muttering "I will free you, Marinette, just like how you freed me from the chains of my childhood."


	27. Personal Day

Ladybug has just woken up and about to enter the bathroom when Adrien bolted inside her quarters.

"We have to leave now," the blond declared, abandoning the thought that she was wearing her pink pajama, pink polka-dotted spaghetti tops with a towel tucked on her arm "Or they might catch us."

"Adrien, what – "

"I'll explain to you later!" he grabbed her arm then dragged her outside the room "Plagg will buy us some time to escape!"

"P – Plagg?!" she gasped incredulously, showing no reluctance when he pulled her inside the service elevator "And what do you mean by escape? Is this… is this some sort of kidnapping?"

 _"I've been telling that kid about the possible consequences,"_  a lethargic voice buzzed in her earpiece _"But he's too stubborn for his own good."_

"You're helping him?!"

_"Hey, I just want to have a Personal Day to enjoy some cheese under the sun."_

"It cost me a few wheels of Camembert to win his loyalty," Adrien confessed as he punched the button to the lower ground. "Hey, Plagg?"

_"What?"_

"How indispensable am I in this organization?"

_"Hmm, tough question. I'd say your existence is crucial to meet Papillion's wishes? I mean, he needs to have the bearer of Creation and Destruction together. Also, your ability is too powerful, and you're the first person in centuries who can use a Cataclysm without damaging any nerve cells. So basically, you're super indispensable."_

"How about Ladybug?"

The black Kwami groaned  _"Don't make me reiterate it, kid."_

When the elevator dinged and opened its sliding door, Adrien immediately grabbed Ladybug's wrist and rushed towards the exit. He was relieved that his Kwami hacked all the security cameras and disabled the detector shields before the Order could notice their escape.

_"You better pray that Tikki won't kill you after this."_

"Hey, you're supposed to pray too!"

 _"You bribed me,"_  scoffed Plagg much to his Chosen's chagrin _"So I have no choice but to do your bidding."_

"Traitor."

"Wait a minute, where are we going?" Ladybug asked, huffing as she tried to match his pace "And why are we running away?"

_"Aaaaand I am going to turn my connection off. Best of luck explaining, kid! Au revoir!"_

"Plagg! Why you…" he snarled, then halted his steps when he met her icy blue stares "Erm, it's better if we go to that alley first?"

"Fine," she complied begrudgingly then marched towards the deserted area with a scowl "Now what?"

Adrien cleared his throat at her inquisitive glares "You see, we uh, we are going to visit your parents."

"My  _what_?!"

"Shh, don't raise your voice or others might – "

"What do you mean by  _'don't raise your voice'_ , huh?" she hissed, brushing his hands off when he held her arms to calm her down "This is a violation, Adrien! We'll be terminated!"

"That's why we have to leave early before they could sniff us out!"

Her jaw slacked with disbelief "What?"

"Marinette," he placed his hands on her bare shoulders firmly so he could snap her out from her stupor "I've lived my life in a restraint environment so I know how to detect a fellow person that's on the verge of break down. I know the feeling of being suppressed emotionally, and I don't want you to fall into the pits of depression. I don't want you to become like me."

"Adrien - "

He wiped the stray tear that fell on her cheeks gently with his thumb "I'm willing to break the rules to save you from damnation, my Lady. And I'm more than happy to accept the consequences as long as I can save the girl behind that mask."

He saw the internal conflict that was brewing from her bluebell eyes, so he pressed on "I'm not forcing you, okay? I just want to let you know that we can meet your parents without giving Papillion an upper hand."

"How?"

 _Oh well_ , he gulped audibly,  _here it goes._


	28. The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a tropical depression going on here and our internet line was down for weeks due to thunderstorms. I swear Stormy Weather and Syren are doing a simultaneous attack

It was an early Sunday morning when visitors arrived at the doorsteps of Dupain-Cheng's residence.

The bakery was closed that day, so Tom knew that the teenagers weren't potential customers. They were an odd pair, really – the boy was wearing casual jeans with a white over-shirt and a silver helmet; the girl, on the other hand, was wearing a matching pink pajama in a tank top with a pink towel wrapped on her head.

He was about to ask them about their purpose until the boy removed his helmet and revealed a familiar mop of blond hair.

"Adrien?" the burly man gasped at the grinning boy "I – Is that you?"

" _Bonjour_ , M. Dupain."

Tom didn't waste any minute to give Adrien a ferocious hug, which made the boy comically wheezed for air. He dropped him steadily to the floor then chuckled "I've heard from Nino that you were pulled out from school! What happened?"

"It's ah, uh, it's a long story," the boy answered, scratching his nape incessantly while glancing at his companion, an action that was left unnoticed by the baker "Erm, by the way. This is…"

Ladybug didn't have to introduce herself. Before she could even utter a word, Tom immediately swooped her from her feet and sobbed " _Marinette_. My Princess. My beautiful and brave baby…"

"Papa…"

Adrien couldn't help but melt at the sight of the father-daughter crying at each other's arms.

"Tom? What took you so long…"

Sabine didn't even acknowledge Adrien's presence or notice her husband's tear-stricken face when she opened the door. Her attention immediately zeroed towards the teenage girl she longed to see the most.

"Marinette?" the woman covered his mouth with both hands as she whispered in disbelief "Is that you, _baobei_?"

The superheroine extracted herself from her father's arms reluctantly, and with quivering lips, she uttered "Maman, _huílai le_."

" _You're alive_!" exclaimed Sabine as she embraced her daughter with tears flowing onto her cheeks. She was sputtering incoherent Mandarin words neither Tom nor Adrien could comprehend.

"I don't mean to interrupt this reunion," the blond said meekly "But it's better if we'll continue this inside."

"O - of course," Tom complied, wiping his tears as he ushered his daughter and his wife inside, followed by Adrien who had to double-check the surroundings for unwanted usurpers.

.

.

.

.

The middle-aged couple didn't barge them with questions, not until the teens were settled comfortably in front of their dining table for breakfast.

"Nobody knows that we're here, not even our superiors," she explained after biting a fresh croissant. Oh, how she missed the buttery taste, "According to Adrien, that is."

"I joined the Order shortly after my last visit. You're both compelled to forget anything magus-related, so I'm not surprised why you don't have any recollections about my last visit several months ago," Adrien added with a sheepish grin "I have an ancient magus blood, just like your daughter."

The teenagers finally poured out all of their bottled emotions and hardships before and after they became Miraculous wielders. There were misty eyes as they shared their stories, with some deliberated puns that earned a number of exasperated groans. And as they began to tell them about their Kwamis, Tom and Sabine couldn't help but smile knowing that the two were in safe hands.

"Are you saying that you broke the spell, the spell that was preventing us from talking about Marinette's magus background, only to be reconstructed again?"

"I'm guilty about the _breaking_ thing, but the reconstruction was probably a part of the spell, a fail-safe in the event someone forces you to reveal something," Adrien answered nonchalantly then shrugged "I highly doubt that Master Fu was the one who cast it. If he really was then that explains why he knew the extent of my abilities."

"I see."

"I believe that you were compelled not only to protect your daughter's safety but also to keep all civilians connected to any Miraculous user under Papillion's radar," he continued while giving the raven-haired girl a side glance.

"Thank you for all the sacrifices that you've made to keep our daughter safe," Tom interjected, "And I'm glad that you're the Chat Noir to our Marinette's Ladybug."

"You even have our blessings to ask her hand for marriage," Sabine added with a wink.

" _Maman_!" the girl squeaked, blushing profusely as Adrien smirked at her reaction.

"I might," was his bold reply "If only she accepts me as her boyfriend first."

Her blush turned into a deeper red "Adrien!"

"That's horrible, Marinette! We never raised you to treat a man like this!"

She slapped her forehead with a groan "Papa…"

"Isn't it your dream to marry Adrien?" Sabine asked casually much to her daughter's mortification "You even have his pictures all over your walls."

" _What_?!" the blond sputtered and almost spilled his coffee as he darted his gaze towards his squirming partner "Buginette, I thought the reason why you kept my pictures was to use them as your fashion reference? You told me that when I accidentally discovered your shrine."

"Don't you ever call it a ' _shrine_ '," she retorted hotly "And I'm really using your pictures as a fashion reference!"

"Oh really?" his smug face irked her terribly, especially when he hovered near hers, "Why are you lying, my Lady?"

"I'm not lying!"

"Denial is not the only river in Egypt."

She scowled indignantly.

.

.

.

.

After their eventful breakfast, the teens decided to visit the balcony. Even though she didn't express it, Adrien saw in her bluebell eyes the bafflement and the appreciation that her parents kept her things in place – her sewing machines, computers, books, or even her bed – as if she never left them at all.

"When did you fall for me?" she asked with folded arms leaning on the balcony railings.

"I honestly don't know. I think I've been in love with you since we were kids," he confessed then felt the warmth of her bare arm when she brushed it against his as he stared blankly at the buttress of Notre Dame "But if it's about _how_ _I realized_ that I'm falling for you, then I bet you know the answer."

"Why me?" she asked again with staid eyes looking from afar "Why me, of all people? I mean, there's Chloe...then there's Lila...also, Kagami..."

"Are you _seriously_ considering Chloe as your competitor?" he deadpanned.

"I'm trying to see the logic behind your actions."

He shook his head, bemused "There's no way for you to get the answer. There's no logical explanation when it comes to love. Did I fall for you because I was lonely? I don't think so. Did I fall for you because I missed you? Probably, but I never had that strong feeling with other people before."

"The list is too long, my Lady. I don't think I can enumerate all the things that I love _in you_ in a single day," he chuckled, glancing at his companion with endearment "Don't sell yourself short, Marinette."

He noticed how she clenched her fists tightly and the way she nibbled her lower lip - _damn_ , he really wants to nibble that - reminded him of her nervous habit.

She took a deep sigh then faced him squarely and stammered "Adrien, you see...I, uh, I'm still in lo - "

The two jerked simultaneously at the blaring sound of the alarm.

"What's that?" she asked, blinking owlishly.

Adrien fished a sleek device from his pocket then turned it off "It's uh, an alarm that I set up to let us know if our time was up."

"I see."

"What were you saying, my Lady? I'm sorry I didn't catch the entire sentence."

The raven-haired girl feigned a smile "None of importance, _mon Chaton_. Let's...let's go downstairs and bid our farewell."

.

.

.

.

Adrien had a crestfallen expression as he explained his plans to the Dupain-Chengs.

"You'll forget everything - from the time that we knocked at your door to the moment we leave this house," he told them despondently "You'll retain some memories like waking up and having breakfast, but never on us paying you a short visit. The discussion that we had will be erased from your minds, as well as the notion that I'm Chat Noir and your daughter is Ladybug."

"Here's hoping that there will be another visit," Tom commented with a toothy grin "And I do understand why you're doing this. You don't want to give Papillion a leverage or even give a hint about your identities, right?"

The teenagers nodded.

"The memory-lock spell that was originally cast by the Order will remain," the blond went on "I'll just tweak it a little bit, remove those memories about us then mend it so that it won't trigger an alarm to the Order. We'll make sure that you will fall asleep in your bed with no disorientation or recollections after you wake up."

"Are you sure you don't want to bring some pastries with you?" asked Sabine, which earned a head shake from her daughter.

"As much as we would like to Maman, but we can't have any pieces of evidence that we're here."

"I will miss you, _baobei_ ," the woman cupped the heroine's cheek, tracing the red glamoured mask deftly by her thumbs with a wry smile "You can't replace who you really are, Marinette. You can't have _Ladybug_ defines you as _you_ , because _Ladybug_ is nothing but a part of a whole."

A tear suddenly leaked from her bluebell eyes "Maman..."

"You don't have to hide forever. Face your fears, my beloved daughter, and conquer those internal demons with confidence. You're not alone on this endeavor. No, not anymore."

The woman moved her gaze towards the blond "Please take care of our daughter like your life depends on it."

He nodded "You have my word, Mme. Cheng."

"And Adrien?"

"Yes, M. Dupain?"

"You can drop the formalities, son. You can just call my wife as Sabine," the baker said "And me as Tom. You're a family, remember?"

Adrien scrunched his face, mustering all of his strength to control his emotions at bay "I'm sorry..."

Tom shook his head with a fond smile "You have no idea how grateful we are for giving us an opportunity to meet our daughter. Our minds will forget it, but our hearts won't."

The blond looked at his partner, and when he received a verbal nod, he raised his hands above the couple's head and yelled " **Cataclysm!** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left and an Epilogue! Yay!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I've had a writer's block, and you can blame it all to the storyboard that I'm doing at work. And now that I finally finished the task, I realized that this chapter, this particular prompt (which I find ironic), is too short for my liking. 
> 
> This is why I hate endings (╥﹏╥)
> 
> I'm bad with endings.

 

Adrien wasn't surprised to know that Plagg actually  _rat_  them out – a term that he, a feline Miraculous user, would actually use to describe his kwami's betrayal.

"Just because you're one of the strongest Miraculous users doesn't mean you'll be spared from punishment," Master Fu chided as he darted an impassive glare at the sheepish blond "We don't tolerate such ill actions regardless if you're the rarest magus in the century or not."

"I'm sorry," he muttered sincerely but his words were immediately brushed off by their superior.

"Furthermore," the old man went on, maintaining the same firm tone "You even dragged Ladybug, of all people, in this mess knowing that Papillion is out there hunting for her neck."

"He didn't force me," the heroine defended, and her interjection earned some beady glares inside the room "I went with him at my own free will."

"So, you're saying that it was a consensual kidnapping?" Tikki asked as she stared at the cowering teen with disbelief "I taught you to be better than this, Marinette!"

Her Chosen visibly winced.

"And  _you_ ," the blond gulped audibly when the red Kwami eyed him with pure spite "Did Plagg ever tell you that an incident like this can lead you to termination?"

"I g - guess so…?" he replied with feigned ignorance as he looked around for some help "S – Speaking of which, where's my Kwami?"

"Let's just say he's on a cheese rehab for a week."

"Oh."

No wonder Plagg  _rat_  them out.

"Termination means stripping off your status as a Miraculous user and wiping all of your memories related to the Order. However," she added with chagrin "It will only work on those people with non-ancient magus blood. Which means that this punishment cannot be applied to both of you."

The teens were about to give a deep sigh of relief when Fu stood up, towering their figures.

"But that doesn't mean you're both pardoned," he uttered coolly, and with his loud voice he commanded "Ladybug and Chat Noir, I want you to surrender your Miraculous and remain within the Order's premise under supervision for an indefinite period of time."

" _What_?!" Adrien bolted up immediately as he tried not to look at his partner's shocked face "Tha – that can't be! Tikki – "

"I'm sorry, Adrien, but you have to face the consequences," was her apologetic reply "Same applies to you, Marinette."

It wasn't a problem for Adrien to pass his Miraculous back to Master Fu since his destructive powers remained intact. Unstable, but still available whenever.

His main concern was more on Ladybug, or rather, Marinette.

"It's fine, Adrien," the raven-haired muttered stoically as she removed her earrings and handed them to her Kwami "At least they didn't remove our powers."

"B – But Buginette, you've been - " the blond protested but stopped when her index finger pressed his lips.

"It's okay," she cracked an unconvincing smile "I can manage this."

He didn't believe her.

He knew she was lying, even before they stepped out of the room and witnessed how she cowered at their colleagues' inquisitive stares. His heart was crushed into tiny pieces at the sight of her hunching figure as they walked through the busy hallway, and felt a painful jab at her wavering confidence.

This wasn't the Marinette that he used to know.

"I'm sorry," he barely heard her faint words if not for his enhanced hearing "For putting up with me. I know…I…I should've declined your offer but - "

" _Marinette_."

The girl flinched at his voice then shivered a bit when she tilted his head to meet his vibrant green orbs.

"You did nothing wrong," the blond replied, placing his hands squarely on her shoulders with somber "You're still a human behind that spotted mask. You're just a daughter who yearns for her parents."

"But Adrien, I'm - "

He shook his head as he squeezed his grip to make an emphasis "No, Marinette. You can't use that binding contract crap that you signed with the Order as a reason why you can't see your parents. They paid you for your service as a Miraculous user, not as a teenage girl who must seclude herself from the world. You deserve to see the fruits of your labor, my Lady."

Fat tears began to roll on her cheeks, in which he swiped it gently with his thumbs "Even if they will give me a chance to go back to the past, I will still going to do it again…and again…and again…no matter what the consequences are. Stripping off my powers? Fine, I've been burdened by it anyway."

"They can't give me a preferential treatment," she sniffled, failing to keep her emotions at bay "It's unfair for everyone who spent their lives away from their loved ones."

"But you're on the verge of a breakdown," he reasoned calmly. He was glad that they were on a secluded spot away from eavesdroppers "You've been doing your best, way better than any Miraculous wielders in the past. You deserve a treat."

"Why are you so nice to me, Adrien? I've been bringing you nothing but troubles."

"That's because we're partners, remember?" he grinned, pulling her closer so he could wrap his arms around her body "You're stuck with me forever."

"That's a long term commitment, Chaton," she chuckled, snuggling herself further so she could feel his steady heartbeat "Adrien?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared." she confessed "I don't know what I will do without my Miraculous. What if Papillion find us?"

"Your knight in shining armor will be there to save you." was his instant answer.

"Adrien?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He could feel her growing smile when she pressed her lips on his hammering chest, which urged him to kiss her crown as a reply.

" _De rien_ , my Lady."


	30. Akumatized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's better to be three months late than never!

Getting to know his Lady without her mask was a fun and refreshing experience.

Not that Adrien didn't know Marinette _that_ well before she became Ladybug; he hasn't prepared himself to rediscover how amazing and overwhelmingly wonderful his best friend all throughout the years. He may have known her likes and dislikes since childhood, but there were still some things about herself that she hasn't disclosed to him yet.

A year of superheroing may have matured her physically and mentally, but in his eyes, his Marinette remained the same - from her passion towards fashion down to her inarguable sweet tooth.

 _His Marinette_ , Adrien snickered at his selfish thought.

_Speaking of sweet tooth..._

"Now I know the reason why Tikki favored you the most," the blond bemused as he observed how his pig-tailed companion swiped a chocolate buttercream from the mixing bowl then hastily swallowed it while feigning ignorance "'Coz you're both _sucre_ for sweets."

Marinette narrowed her gaze with scrutiny "Did you just French swear at me?"

Adrien's grinned toothily when she cocked her hips "That's _oui_ -sense, Buginette."

" _Adrien_ ," she slapped her forehead then groaned "Please stop."

"If you were a verb tense - "

" _Oh God_."

"- you'd be _plus-que-parfait_."

His laughs doubled over when Marinette kicked his shin then stomped back to the kitchen counter. She was mad at his antics, of course, but he couldn't help himself but tease her more because he finds her grumpy face the cutest in the entire universe.

"There will be no cakes for you!" she miffed with utmost annoyance "Not even a slice!"

"C'mon, don't be such a meany, my Lady." he cooed, trying to wrap his arms around her waist while dodging her painful swats "You can't deprive this Kitty with his treats."

"Not if the said Kitty deserves it."

Adrien was able to trap her easily, and when she stopped squirming, he began to nuzzle her crook like a cat scent-marking his mate. And with the rumbles that reverberated on his throat, he knew she'd _swoon_.

He was mortified at first when he learned that her feline tendencies have spilled out of his civilian persona as a Miraculous side-effect, and deeply ashamed when he started to display some uncontrollable cat-like behavior.

But for Marinette, she loved it.

 _'I've never had a pet before'_ , she told him the first time she heard his purrs _'And I really want to own a cat.'_

Ever since that confession, he began to pull out his kitty-like traits to win some favor.

"Stop using those eyes!" Marinette whined irately much to his delight "Okay, fine! You win!"

He didn't release her after that.

Not that she minded it anyway.

"Hey, Adrien?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here," she smiled at his embrace "For not leaving me alone."

The blond scoffed "We're partners, remember? That means we're stuck together."

Their moment was cut short when Plagg entered the kitchen and gagged "I think I'm going to puke."

Adrien stuck his tongue out while Marinette brushed herself away with a fluster.

"You're just jealous you can't do this with Tikki," he sneered at his kwami "So, what brings you here?"

"Master Fu is summoning you two in the war room."

Both teenagers went stiff as the atmosphere in the room shifted into something serious.

"What happened?" the raven-haired girl asked as she turned off the oven's dial.

After removing their soiled aprons and securing their goods, Plagg filled them in as they rushed towards their destination.

"Nyanderthal has been spotted five hundred meters away from Palais Garnier," he said, "Apparently, half of the population is now turned into cats."

"Wait a damn minute," Marinette halted her steps as she faced the black kwami "Are you saying that we're dealing a feline Akuma?"

"And an akumatized cat."

"An _animal_?!" Adrien gaped incredulously "Is that even possible?"

"Papillion can akumatized anyone as long as they have emotions. Take Robustus for example."

"Yeah right," he snorted indignantly. "So, what caused this cat to be akumatized? Fighting for a fish bone?"

When Plagg didn't give an answer, he deadpanned "So it is a fish bone."

"Why us?" his companion asked "You know that we're still under house arrest."

"Not only for the fact that you're able and _available_ , you also have an innate ability to tame a cat. And you - " he turned towards the blond " - being that cat."

"Hey!"

As they entered the war room, the teenagers were appalled at the chaos that was happening on the monitor screens.

"There you are!" the elderly man in floral shirt approached the two "We badly need your assistance."

Just like what Plagg did, they were briefed again about the Akuma's abilities and its whereabouts, with additional details on parts that the black kwami missed to mention.

Before Fu could continue his explanation, Adrien raised a hand and asked: "Erm, does this mean we're both pardoned?"

"You two are on your best behavior these past few weeks," Tikki interjected as she walked towards them "And since you've been following the rules to the T, we decided to give your Miraculous back under one condition."

"And that is...?"

The red kwami crossed her arms with a huff "No more attempts to contact the outside world."

Adrien and Marinette stared at each other for a brief moment before they gave an answer.

"Yes."

.

.

.

.  
It took them three Cataclysms and one Lucky Charm to defeat Nyanderthal, who happened to be a stray calico cat, only to be handed over to the Animal Shelter for re-homing much to the blond's dismay.

"You know that pets are banned in the headquarters, right?" Ladybug chuckled at her sulking partner "We just got our Miraculous back, _Chaton_. Don't make any attempts to break another house rules or we'll be out of commission again."

"So, how's the feeling after wearing your glamour back, my Lady?" he asked as he scoots over beside her partner.

"Happy, but not that much. You?"

" _Purr_ -fectly _feline_." he smirked at his companion's inward groans "But seriously Marinette, I don't have much sentimental reason to wield this Miraculous aside from protecting you."

"You've sacrificed a lot for my sake," the girl muttered, turning her gaze towards the orange sky "I haven't done anything to repay you."

"You already have, my Lady," he smiled as he looked at the sunset view "By accepting me as your equal."

They were sitting on top of the Eiffel, with their spandex-covered legs dangling on the edge of the steel crane yet hidden from public's privy eyes.

"What if..." she bit her lower lip as if contemplating "What if I will offer you my heart?"

"Buginette, you don't need to force yourself to - "

Her spotted-clad hand immediately covered his mouth to stop his babbles "You don't understand, Adrien. I've loved you for years, and I still do, even if you see me as your good friend - "

"Hey!" he yanked her hand away from his lips "You know that's not the case, right?"

"I know, but our situation is different now. We're not _Marinette_ and _Adrien_ anymore - two normal civilians with a normal life. We're Ladybug and Chat Noir now, two Miraculous wielders on a mission to find Papillion and beat his ass."

Adrien snorted "Damn right."

"So, you see...we have obligations to the Order and duties to protect our city. That's why..." she paused to take a deep breath "That's why I can't simply commit to a relationship."

"Hey," the blond gently nudged her shoulder "I'm not on a rush, you know? We can take things slowly. Besides, we need to reacquaint ourselves and get to know each other. I'm fine by knowing that the feeling is mutual, and I don't mind waiting until you're ready. Wait a minute - "

"What?" she asked when her partner's demeanor changed.

"We can't go out as an official couple while Papillion is around, right?"

She nodded "Right."

"Can we defeat Papillion before we hit thirties?"

"Oh, _mon Minou_ ," the raven-haired girl giggled at his ridiculous pout "If we're motivated enough, we can defeat Papillion in less than a year."

Five months later, Ladybug and Chat Noir was able to capture Papillion and locked him for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I might pick this up for a sequel ^_^
> 
> Aside from typical excuses like 'real life issues', I had a severe writer's block, and in exchange, I got a ridiculous amount of art inspirations. So yeah, I'm starting to draw again after a decade of not doing art stuffs. I'm a bit rusty, and I'm still new to digital art but I'm willing to teach myself on some techniques and develop my own style.
> 
> You can also check out my ML art stuffs in Amino and Instagram. I'm still using chimpukampu as my username

**Author's Note:**

> You can hit me some ask/request (if I have some spare time) or follow me on [Tumblr](http://chimpukampu.tumblr.com/)


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